For the Cause, For Herself
by rkanotherlife
Summary: Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat and regrettably spoke the words that she knew would puncture Ron's heart. "No, Ron. I am not going to marry you." [Marriage Law, set during DH, EWE. First draft COMPLETE, uploading during editing. Almost 50K words.]
1. A Misguided Idea

A/N set up: The timeline is set a few weeks after Bill and Fleur's wedding. The Ministry did not become overrun, it's just badly corrupt. Harry, Hermione, and Ron are still at The Burrow getting ready for a Horcrux hunt.

I've had this Marriage Law story in my head for years and wanted to finally see it out there. More notes below.

Oh, and I don't own Harry Potter and am not making any money off of this crazy story that popped into my disclaimer, and the one on my profile page, will be all I will mention of this fact. The source material is not mine. Thank you.

-o-

Chapter 1: A Misguided Idea

"By decree of the Ministry of Magic, all eligible witches between the prime reproductive ages of 18 and 34 are required to be wed within three months and if physically capable, to conceive within one year of their union."

Despite reading the sentence aloud, Hermione could not believe her own ears. It didn't appear like anyone else did either. The early risers of the Weasley clan all looked at each other, at Hermione, at Ginny, at the table, at their hands, and finally - at the crumbled paper now clenched in Hermione's trembling fingers.

Molly spoke first "This is not happening. This cannot be happening." Shakily she turned her eyes accusatorily at her husband, she yelled pointedly "Arthur, how could you not know this was happening?!"

Molly Weasley abruptly stood up from the table in a rush of feeling and then just as quickly crumbled to the kitchen floor, overcome with the absurdity of the situation. Arthur stooped down to hold her shaking form, soothingly brushing Molly's red hair from her face.

Speaking between breaths, Molly added "They can't have her Arthur. They can't. Our only girl."

Continuing to run his hands along her hair, Arthur tried to assure her "We won't let them Molly. She won't be 18 for another two years. They'll overturn this by then, it won't stand."

Still sitting silently at the breakfast table were the two other early risers, Hermione Jean Granger and Ginevra "Ginny" Weasley.

Hermione, one third of the famous Golden Trio, the brightest witch of her age, was staring numbly at her breakfast as endless scenarios soared through her brain and became catalogued into best and least likely options. As currently the eldest in the group, at the age of 18, she would have to find a husband quickly. Hermione's eyes lingered back towards the Marriage Act of 1997, she smoothed it out and read the entire document again.

The movement catching her eye, Ginny turned her gaze away from her parents and looked back towards Hermione. Speaking quickly, Ginny started trying to assure her in the usual quiet yet determined tone she generally used when plotting.

"Ron will marry you. You know he will. We'll wake him up right now and tell him about the new law. You'll see, he won't even hesitate." Ginny nodded at the end, almost as if she were assuring herself more so than Hermione.

Mrs. Weasley, snapping up at the sound of Ginny's voice, made a startled sound and immediately got up off the floor of The Burrow with Arthur scrambling to follow.

Walking closer, tidying her face and then wringing her hands in her age weathered apron, Molly added to Ginny's sentiments.

"Yes, Hermione dear. I'm so sorry I broke down before thinking how this affects you. Of course, you are already part of our family. If we can't find a way out of this, Ron will marry you, dear. I didn't want you two to get married under these circumstances but this can work. They will not force you onto someone you don't love if we have anything to say about it." She mimicked that same assured nod her daughter had just modeled.

Hermione looked past the overbearingly large breakfast mound that Mrs. Weasley had shoveled onto her plate that morning and into the eyes of the matronly woman that substituted for her own mother in the wizarding world. It was too much to bear. The plump and sweet red haired Molly Weasley could never be her mother-in-law. The Weasley's would never become her family, not anymore.

With shaky movements, Hermione pushed back her chair and stood up. It wobbled and fell behind her, making a sound as deafening as the crack forming in Hermione's heart.

"I think I need a moment."

As calmly as Hermione could manage, she walked towards the back door, opened it, and found a spot in the yard where she could be alone to think. She let out a few stubborn tears before practicing some breathing exercises to gather herself back together. She had to think, this was not the time to break down.

-o-

Within minutes of stepping outside, Hermione heard the outraged shouts of Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, and Ronald Bilius "Ron" Weasley, the youngest of the Weasley's six sons.

Still clad in his toothpaste stained pajama shirt and dark linen pants, a messy haired Ron ran to join Hermione outside.

Before he could even open his mouth, Hermione asked "Where is Harry?" She had assumed he may also come to try and calm her down.

"He'll be out in a moment. He first decided to propose to my sister so that no one else could get an edge in next year."

Brushing his hand through his already pre-tousled hair, he paced a bit in front of her for a moment.

"But forget about Harry. I think we should be focusing on us first."

He paused his pacing to look at her tear stained face, and then kneeled beside her on the dew covered grass.

"Okay, here is the plan." Ron reached for Hermione's hands, looking into her eyes to try and share his serious tone.

"We'll take two weeks to put a few of the more important things together like who will come to our wedding, what food to have, and your dress, I suppose, and then we'll get married." Ron paused, shaking his head briefly. He continues "I didn't want to do this so young but you know, at least this way I get to keep you safe."

Noticing how stoically Hermione was looking at their entwined hands, Ron asked "How are you? You look oddly calm." Hermione did not respond right away.

Peering up, she studied Ron's face. Hermione hoped he would see the sincerity in her features, that he would understand that this logical choice pained her. She cared for Ron, more than she cared for any other man besides her father, even more than Harry in some ways, but the daydream of her and Ron being together one day had just come to a quick stop. She didn't care about Ron more than the fate of the Wizarding World.

"I am not calm Ron. I'm just thinking through my options. It won't be long now before complete strangers start proposing to me as a way to get to Harry." Nodding, she added "You know it's true. A lot of people are going to want to use me to get to him. I should think things through before that happens. We have a mission and this jeopardizes everything."

Letting go of her hands in a forceful push, Ron stood up and stared at her incredulously. "You cannot be serious. There are no other options Hermione. You are going to marry me!"

Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat and regrettably spoke the words that she knew would puncture Ron's heart.

"No, Ron. I am not going to marry you."

-o-

Next time on _For the Cause, For Herself_ :

Before the night was through Hermione had received formal Ministry approved proposal forms from her classmates Draco Malfoy, Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, Blaise Zabini, and a total of 10 other letters of intent from Death Eaters of all ages. The eldest being a man of 65.

-o-

A/N: Thank you for reading the first chapter! I plan on updating chapter two right away so that you can see more of what I have in mind for the plot. All 20+ chapters have been written and I'll be editing them and putting them online daily.

More about me can be found on my profile page. I'm a writer and I'd love for you to check out my original work if you like what you see here. I also have a few one-shots for you to read and review while you wait for new chapters.


	2. Letting Go of Ronald Weasley

Previously on _For the Cause, For Herself_ :

Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat and regrettably spoke the words that she knew would puncture Ron's heart.

"No, Ron. I am not going to marry you."

-o-

Chapter 2: Letting Go of Ronald Weasley

In a voice Hermione had only heard in reference to arguments over quidditch, Ron started in on her.

"How could you 'Mione?! Who would you marry other than me? I thought there was something between us?" Taking a deep breath he spit out "Are you seeing someone in secret? Is it Victor Krum?" And then asking more brokenly, "Am I not good enough?"

Giving a resound sigh, Hermione looked away from Ron and dried her sweaty palms on her light blue PJ set. She could feel the hurt in his voice, the insecurity. It wasn't all that surprising to her that he would bring up Victor Krum, as that had always been a sore spot in their friendship.

She tried to keep her tone level as she explained the problem with their situation.

"Did you read the document they sent in its entirety?"

Rolling his eyes in exasperation, he responded. "No, I had no time for that. I came out here to save you as soon as I was told."

Hermione nearly spat her response, springing up from her spot on the spongy floor. "First of all, I do not need saving. I am a big girl, Ronald Weasley. I do not need a 'White Knight.'"

She crossed her arms around her chest, her eyes narrowing. "As far as proposals go, that was just rotten. I'm sure Harry is doing a much better job right now."

Ron's face blushed in an unattractive way. Too much red just wasn't a good thing. She didn't let his embarrassment stop her from continuing, however.

"Secondly, if you had read the document you would know that once I am married the Ministry will be able to track my movements, as well as my husband's, in a roundabout sense. I'm sure this was something the Death Eaters were able to put into the law for their advantage."

She tried to level her anger for a moment, expressing what this law could really mean for married witches.

"They will be able to know whether or not you and I are sharing a home and a bed. The Ministry does do not want to make a few thousand fake marriages. They are attempting to win this war by increasing the population size and giving people something to fight for, their supposed happy marriages and children."

She rolled her eyes at the preposterous notion, adding to her rant. "It's misguided and won't work, you can't force someone to fall in love by forcing them to marry, but the Ministry is run by imbeciles! If I marry you Ronald, we will not be able to help Harry. He will be completely alone, isolated like the Death Eaters want."

Rolling her shoulders to release some of the tension building up in her neck and back, Hermione added "I will have to marry someone else, someone hopefully loyal to the Order, so I can help you both from afar while you and Harry find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes. We cannot be tracked, if the Ministry knows where Harry is through us then it will without a doubt get to He Who Shall Not Be Named."

It was quite annoying to say such a long title after years of taking power away from Lord Voldemort's name, but that was the jinx for you. Anyone that said Voldemort's name would immediately give away their location, even if The Burrow now had a Secret Keeper.

Ron eyes widened marginally with each passing sentence and then slowly sat back down on the grass.

"Well…"

"Indeed."

"How do you think through so many possible scenarios in such a short amount of time?"

Hermione fiddled with the hem of her pajama. "It's a gift and a cruse."

After seeming to thinking for a moment, Ron asked "But won't I have to get married anyway?"

"The law only specifies witches. There are less women than men so not every male can get married. The law specifies over 18 anyway, so not many Hogwarts students will need to get married, at least not until close to graduation. They also haven't considered the gay population at all in this, those poor witches." Hermione shook her head indignantly, seating herself beside him.

Ron scooted a little closer to her and dropped his head lightly onto her shoulder. She leaned her head onto his as well. They sat silently for a few minutes, the future they thought they had slipping away. Hermione could feel herself mourning the idea of her and Ron. It had been such a constant in her life, the feelings she had for him. Now they didn't matter.

"I don't care." Ron turned to face Hermione, taking her hands back into his.

"What?" Hermione frowned, not understanding what he could mean.

"I don't care about the logic. I'm going to marry you and stay home. To damn it all. They won't take this from us." Ron stared at her with a gentle ferocity, pleading with his eyes.

Hermione brought a light smile to her face at the remark. "That was a much better proposal Ron, thank you, but it still isn't going to happen. Think about this, talk it over with Harry, and we'll discuss it all together tomorrow."

She let go of his hands and patted his shoulder as she stood up to walk back toward The Burrow. In the distance she saw delivery owls of all colors and sizes coming towards the house. Her official proposal forms, mandated by the Ministry, were on the way.

Going back inside she ignored the inquiring glances of the other Weasley residents, speeding past them and into the room she and Ginny shared before they had a moment to speak with her. Hermione noticed Harry holding Ginny's hand as she went past. She hoped Ginny would be okay. Once Harry spoke to Ron, she knew he would come to the same conclusion as she had. Harry would not marry Ginny, not until Lord Voldemort has been defeated.

Even if they did get married before the legally required age, the odd trace to monitor conception would be on Ginny. She could only hope that it wouldn't take too long to complete their mission or else Ginny would have to marry someone else. There was a lot riding on Harry and the thought of him putting a timeline onto his quest to defeat the greatest dark wizard of our time did not sit well with Hermione. When rushed, Harry takes unnecessary risks.

Hermione put aside the thought and in an effort to pretend that she had control of her life for a little while longer, Hermione waited quietly on her bed for the proposal letters from her potential suitors to arrive. One by one, owls of all pedigrees flew in through her open window. She sorted through them one by one, adding to the catalog of possible futures in her mind.

Before the day was through Hermione had received formal Ministry approved proposal forms from her classmates Draco Malfoy, Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, Blaise Zabini, and a total of 10 other letters of intent from known Death Eaters of all ages. The eldest being a man of 65.

It probably should have surprised Hermione more that all of her letters were from Death Eaters. Voldemort may not have been able to stop this law from coming into fruition, correctly assuming he wouldn't want more mixed-blood children around, but he was able to stop all of the more acceptable suitors from getting proposal letters through the Ministry. Voldemort was going to capture her, and likely kill her, by wedding her off to one of his disciples.

She was sure that Ron would have put in a formal request for her hand with the Ministry today, despite what she said. He will flip when he realizes that it won't reach the proper filers. She briefly wondered if anyone other than Ron and Death Eaters were trying to win her hand. She never considered herself to be pretty, not in the way Ginny was with her long silky hair, but Hermione was still a pivotal player in this war. Surely that would mean nice people would want her...Right?

But she would most likely never find out who those other attempted 'White Knights' were. Voldemort was going to take advantage of this ridiculous attempt at spreading love throughout the wizarding world. He was going to use this opportunity to turn Hermione Granger into his toy. She would not be experiencing true love, the "power the Dark Lord knows not," from any of her proposed matches.

Hermione imaged how Draco must have fought tooth and nail against sending a proposal to her, the insufferable Mudblood, but in the end she imaged he did what Voldemort wanted. They were going to take her away from Harry, from the side of the light.

Hermione started to prepare for bed with a heavy heart, realizing she hadn't even taken off her pajamas from the night before, she took her time brushing and plaiting her hair and washing her face. She could hear Ginny crying now with Harry and her family in the living room. Harry must have finally figured out they couldn't be together, at least not now. Harry could not take her on a mysterious Horcrux mission without the whole project being endangered.

As Hermione laid down on her twin bed beneath her now closed window, she heaved a sigh of relief. One of the most difficult days of her life was almost over.

But as she was finally closing her eyes, a tap tap sound came from her window. Looking up, she saw a crow with a rolled up letter attached to its foot. One more proposal, great.

Hermione got up out of bed and released the latch on the window to let the bird inside. It dropped the letter into her hand and waited for a reply. The other proposal owls did not wait, odd that this one seemed to want to.

The letter turned out to be a handwritten note from her former Potions Professor and current Headmaster of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Severus Snape.

He wanted to meet.

-o-

Next time on _For the Cause, For Herself_ :

"Miss Granger, what I am about to tell you must remain a secret. It is a matter of life and death. If you agree to this plan, I will be able to help you and your less intelligent friends bring down the Dark Lord. It will require a lot of acting on your part. You must swear an Unbreakable Vow to me, right now, that what I tell you remain between you, me, Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter, and Mr. Weasley. No one else must know. Do you agree to these terms?"

-o-

A/N: Severus, Hermione, and Draco meet in the next chapter. Leave me a review if you are excited! Don't forget to also take a look at my original work, linked in my profile page.


	3. A Rendezvous

Previously on _For the Cause, For Herself_ :

The letter turned out to be a handwritten note from her former Potions Professor and current Headmaster of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Severus Snape.

He wanted to meet.

-o-

Chapter 3: A Rendezvous

Hermione considered herself to be the more logical part of the Golden Trio. Harry was of course the savior with a big destiny. Ron was the brawn, moral support, the guy with the big heart of gold. And Hermione, well...Everyone knew Hermione was the brains of the operation. Without each of these pillars, the whole Trio would fall.

Yet here she was, the bright Hermione Granger, the supposedly sensible girl sneaking away from The Burrow in the middle of the night to meet the murderer of Albus Dumbledore.

She always figured there must be more to that story, despite what Harry told her about the night of Dumbledore's death, so here she was. Why in the world did she feel some sort of hope in the fact that the "greasy git of the dungeons" (as Ron often described him) had requested a meeting with her on the same day she found out she had to be married within three months? Hermione couldn't pinpoint why she thought Severus Snape would help her. She just needed answers.

No sense in pondering over her newfound idiocy now. As soon as Ginny had calmed down enough to go to sleep, Hermione quietly dressed and tiptoed slowly out of their shared bedroom and through the back door.

Clutching her wand in one hand she squinted her eyes in the darkness. She didn't dare cast Lumos so close to the house while it was possible for her to still be seen through the windows. Walking for ten minutes just to be sure the Weasleys wouldn't hear the tell-tale sound of her apparition, Hermione imagined Hogwarts in her mind's eye and turned on the spot.

-o-

As instructed by Headmaster Snape, Hermione waited behind some brush near the gates of Hogwarts. She didn't have to wait too long before she heard the footsteps of her rendezvous partner.

"Miss Granger?"

She stepped forward. "Hello Headmaster." His dark form seemed to flinch at the title before he moved out from the shadows, revealing his stern face.

"Hello Miss Granger. Thank you for meeting me."

"Of course. I'm interested to hear what you have to say."

He stood silently, just staring at her with a strange expression that she couldn't read. Hermione supposed he expected hostility, since she knew him to be a murderer. But Hermione was smarter than that, he asked her here for a reason and she was going to find out what it was.

"I...Hm..Miss Granger, let us go to the my chambers where there is no possibility to be overheard."

They just passed through the gate when he suddenly stopped mid stride. "Do you know how to cast a Disillusionment charm? It would be best if no one knew you were here."

She looked at him sideways with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course, how could you not know the Disillusionment charm?" He scoffed "It's only meant for people years your senior so of course you would know it well. I imagine it comes in handy for you and the dunderheaded duo's many illegal adventures."

Ignoring his snarky comments she quickly cast the spell on her form, making her body difficult to detect beside the Headmaster. Disillusionment made your body appear as if it were a glimmer of light, caught in your peripheral vision. It was quite pretty if you knew to look for it, though not as effective as Harry's invisibility cloak. She wished she had thought to borrow it.

It was eerily quiet in Hogwarts this time of year as school was not yet in session. As she walked along the empty halls with Headmaster Snape, she wondered who he was worried would see them together. Since her form was only that of a shimmer, she took some of their walking time to stare at Snape while he was unaware. His posture appeared uncomfortably straight, his face a guarded mask. His black hair, oddly shiny, was parted down the middle and almost reached his shoulders now. She wondered why he hadn't cut it yet.

Before she knew it, her staring time was over and they were standing in front of the entrance to what used to be Headmaster Dumbledore's office. She made a mental note at Snape's murmured password, "Forgiveness." An enlightening choice that she would ponder on later.

Climbing the spiral stairs and bringing herself back to the visible world, she followed Snape past the portraits of previous Headmasters (she was unnerved seeing Dumbledore wink at her from beyond the grave), behind his desk, and through a hidden door behind a tapestry of the Forbidden Forest.

Feeling the door close behind her, Hermione surveyed her surroundings.

Headmaster Snape's rooms were not at all what she expected, not that she would know what to expect in the first place. Maybe just knowing that Snape had lived in the dungeons previously made her think that his rooms would be gloomy. Dungeons don't exactly connate a friendly feel.

Instead, his sitting room was lined almost entirely with book shelves bursting to the brim. In the center of the room was a couch and lounge chair in what appeared to be a dark brown suede material. There was a side table and a coffee table all in a dark cherry wood as well. The dark brown and cherry complemented each other, especially in the glow of the fire.

There was a fireplace crackling in front of the couches and adding to that warm glow was over a dozen floating candles scattered around the room. It was an oddly romantic setting, not something she expected from the cold teacher she knew. There was also no Slytherin green, which Hermione found peculiar.

In the far right corner, another tapestry of a forest scene. To the left, a plain looking wood door. She imagined underneath the tapestry was the door to his private bedroom or possibly his master potions room as that would surely have some sort of security spell protecting it. The unassuming door on the left may be his private kitchen, or whichever room wasn't behind the tapestry. There was no way for her to know.

Overall, his room was startlingly cozy. If only the rooms had more color, this would be close to how she would want to live. That was an odd, Hermione thought, to have something so intimate in common with a man who has been nothing but horrid to her.

"Well, stop staring and take a seat Miss Granger. I do not have all night." He gestured towards the couch, taking the single chair for himself.

Figuring the scrutiny of his chambers probably set him off, Hermione quickly sat down and looked towards him.

"So, your letter said you have a possible solution to my problem?"

He stared at her with a hesitant expression. "Yes, I do."

Hermione, patience wearing thin pressed on "And that solution is..."

Clearing his throat for a moment, Snape provided "You should marry my godson, Draco." and then stared at her, gauging her reaction.

Hermione didn't think she had ever been so startled in her life. Sure, his letter had said that he had a possible solution but never did she think he would just outright say to marry her enemy. Possibly the only thing that would have been more shocking is if he suggested she marry Voldemort, or even, marry Snape himself.

Trying to stay diplomatic, she attempted to keep her tone even.

"Why? Why Malfoy and not Ron?"

He looked up at her with a fierceness she hadn't seen from him in months, not since his lessons in Defense Against the Dark Arts when she had asked him questions he deemed impertinent.

"Do not try to test me, you silly girl. You and I both know that you cannot marry Mr. Weasley or you will not be able to help him or Mr. Potter destroy the Horcruxes."

Horrified that a Death Eater knew their plans, she stood back up and turned around, pretending to survey the room more as Hermione attempted to calm her heart. "I have no idea what you mean."

"Don't be ridiculous Miss Granger. I'm not trying to get information out of you for the Dark Lord. Headmaster Dumbledore told me his plan, before he passed on. And honestly, you need to improve on your acting if you want to make it out of this situation alive."

Annoyed at the thought that Dumbledore could have possibly divulged more to his murderer then he shared with Harry, Hermione turned back and snapped at Snape in the only way she knew how.

"You mean, before you killed him."

He sighed and pushed his hands through his hair. Standing up from his seated position, he moved towards the door she noticed at the far left.

"This is going to be a long conversation, I see. Would you like a cup of tea?"

She blinked, then she blinked again. Tea with a murderer, what a strange situation she has brought onto herself. Shaking her head no, she said the exact opposite of what her nerves were telling her.

"Yes, thank you."

"Sugar?" He asked, stopping with his hand on the wooden door. She must have been right about it being a private kitchen.

"Four cubes, please."

He raised an eyebrow at her disapprovingly, before finally opening the kitchen door.

Hermione tried to calm herself as she sat back down again on Headmaster Snape's surprisingly comfy couches. She pulled her knees up to her chest and laid her head down on her knees. It was a rather childlike pose, but Hermione didn't care at this moment. Snape wasn't looking at her right now so she reasoned that she could afford to let her vulnerability show.

Hermione felt rather grateful to have worn pants under her robes instead of her skirt, she felt like she needed more warmth despite being close to the fire, warmth calmed her. She slowly attempted to gather her thoughts.

So, Headmaster Snape, the murderer of one of the most talented wizards of our age, was pleading the case for marriage for his godson. It wasn't an easy thought for Hermione to wrap her usually clever brain around. Was he working for Voldemort, using his power as her childhood teacher to influence her into joining their side? Or perhaps he wanted to her to marry Malfoy so Snape could have access to torture her regularly, as ordered by his master. Maybe Malfoy would join in the torture as well.

No, that doesn't make sense. There has to be something else to this. Before Dumbledore's murder, Snape had been a git, yes, but Dumbledore stood up for him at every turn. He insisted that Snape was an important member of the Order. He couldn't have been that wrong, right? If Snape wanted to torture her, wouldn't he have just put her under the imperius curse so that she would say yes to marrying Draco. Or even, force Hermione into marrying Snape himself. If he has ill intent, surely he would have proposed marriage for himself.

Before her thoughts could go any further, she heard the sound of the kitchen door opening. Hermione quickly put her feet back down and straightened back up. She watched as Snape put down a dark tray on the coffee table, pouring the tea into two small copper hammered tea cups. He added the four sugar cubes from a matching tin into her cup, handing it to Hermione with a little spoon for her to stir. He did not add sugar to his tea, he actually mixed in whiskey.

Severus Snape sat back into his chair, taking a sip of his spiked tea before he continued with his plan. Despite what Hermione thought of him, he needed some relief from this life. Severus did not want to be under the thumb of of two masters any longer. He was going to take control of the game and Miss Granger was going to have live up to her potential to help him do it.

Snape took out his wand from his inner robe pocket, holding it on his knees and putting down his tea cup. He ignored the startled look Hermione gave him.

"Miss Granger, what I am about to tell you must remain a secret. It is a matter of life and death. If you agree to this plan, I will be able to help you and your less intelligent friends bring down the Dark Lord. It will require a lot of acting on your part. You must swear an Unbreakable Vow to me, right now, that what I tell you remains between you, me, Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter, and Mr. Weasley. No one else must know. Do you agree to these terms?"

"What happens if I refuse?"

"I will bring you back to your home and Obliviate you. Then you will be left to chose between your other desirable suitors." He snarled a little on the world desireable, she didn't blame him.

She considered her options, hiding some of her face in her tea. Taking two deep sips, wishing for a moment she had asked for whiskey when he poured some into his tea, she spoke terms of her own.

"I will agree if you give me the option to tell Ginny Weasley if I feel she needs to know this plan. I would also like to be able to discuss with you other people that could be brought into this plan at a later date. Meaning, I would be able to thoroughly discuss with you why I feel I should tell this person, then you will give your opinion. If you disagree then I will not be able to speak of the plan to this person as I will be bound by the Vow."

He smirked at her, it wasn't an attractive look on him.

"As much as a know-it-all as ever Miss Granger, I respect your ability to find wiggle room in every situation. I agree to your conditions."

Severus stood from his chair, his black robes settling around him. Hermione moved to stand up as well so that the Vow may be performed but he gestured for her to remain seated.

"Are you forgetting something Miss Granger? Perhaps you don't know as much as you think you do. We need a third to perform the Unbreakable Vow. Wait here one moment while I signal him."

A third? Of course, someone to do the binding. Hermione scolded herself internally for not realizing this. But who else would he trust with this secret plan?

Severus knocked on the wall near the tapestry on the far right and out from behind it emerged his godson, Draco Malfoy. Of course, that was logical, since she was about to hear why she should marry the boy that has always tormented her and spoke of her as if she nothing but the dirt beneath her shoes. It only made sense that he would be here.

Hermione then became overrun with the distinct feeling that the world was a lot stranger than she had been lead to believe.

-o-

Next time on _For the Cause, For Herself_ :

"I am going to marry Draco Malfoy. One week from today."

Hermione felt very grateful for her decision to cast Silencing Charms around the room.


	4. A Deal is Struck

Previously on _For the Cause, For Herself_ :

"Are you forgetting something Miss Granger? Perhaps you don't know as much as you think you do. We need a third to perform the Unbreakable Vow. Wait here one moment while I signal him."

A third? Of course, someone to do the binding. Hermione scolded herself internally for not realizing this. But who else would he trust with this secret plan?

Severus knocked on the wall near the tapestry on the far right and out from behind it emerged his godson, Draco Malfoy.

-o-

Chapter 4: A Deal is Struck

When Hermione woke up in bed the next morning, it would have been easy for her to pretend last night was a dream. It certainly had all of the elements of a dream, impossible scenarios with unlikely pairings.

Every few minutes she would think to herself "This couldn't get stranger" and yet somehow it always did.

Not only was Dumbledore's death more of an assisted suicide than a murder, but Dumbledore had known the whole time that Draco was tasked to kill him. Afraid of what would happen to himself and his parents if he refused, Draco took on the task. Then to save his godson from damaging his soul, prevent Dumbledore from continued suffering over his cursed hand, and to keep the school in the palm of the good guys, Snape killed his mentor. She had known there had to be more to Dumbledore's death but this was just too much.

She couldn't believe that Dumbledore had wanted them kept in the dark about Snape's true allegiances. He was in so much danger and keeping the school safe would be a heck of a lot easier if a few key people knew his cruel face was but a mask. She considered asking Snape if she could bring Professor McGonagall in on the plan, but that was risky. The Deputy Headmistress wore her feelings plainly for the world to see. There was no guarantee McGonagall could pretend Headmaster Snape was the cruel and heartless Death Eater she believed he was after she learned the truth.

And then there was the matter of her impending marriage. As much as the plan made sense, she couldn't believe she had said yes.

Headmaster Snape had explained that although Voldemort thought the Ministry of Magic's plan to spread love throughout the world was hilariously flawed - Voldemort saw several loopholes for him to take advantage of. His main draw would be to get his hands on Hermione. It was a horrifying thought. By marrying Draco Malfoy she would be the safest she could be, the other Death Eaters were not an option.

As much as she disliked this option as well, she had to ask. Draco had been listening to their conversation this whole time and she needed to know more about his allegiances.

"Why Malfoy? How can I trust him? I know that you are on our side now, but I can't say the same for him." Hermione gestured toward the so far silent blonde.

Severus looked to Draco from where he sat on the lounge chair. "Go on Draco, she has sworn the Vow."

Clearing his throat, Draco spoke to the fire rather than to her. "I only sent you a proposal because the Dark Lord commanded it. Don't get too _excited_ Granger, I know you find me more attractive than the Weasel, but this is just a business arrangement. Severus has come up with a way that all of us can benefit from this stupid law." His voice sneered over the word excited, which annoyed Hermione to no end.

Choosing to ignore his rudeness, she pushed further. "Why would you work to fight You Know Who?"

This part of the conversation seemed more sincere to Hermione. "Look, the Dark Lord is insane. Sure I think that Purebloods are superior, but I don't believe it makes sense to murder people because they are lower than I." He rolled his eyes upwards at that, kicking his feet back and staring up at the ceiling, head relaxed on the couch cushion. All too casually he added "My family needs an out."

That was the key, Hermione thought. His family was in danger, as much as he tried to keep his cool she could see behind what Malfoy had tried to present nonchalantly.

So that's how she came about saying yes to marrying the school bully, a Death Eater in training.

Severus explained to her that this way she would be able to remain in school and could covertly help the other students, all the while pretending to live a tortured life. That part would be the most difficult.

Snape made it apparent that for this to work, she would have to appear to be Draco's tortured Mudblood concubine. That was the only way she could remain safe from the other Death Eaters that would actually hurt her, rather than just pretend to hurt her like Malfoy would.

He briefly said that he couldn't turn off the conception checking charms on the wedding ring, but that he had a few ideas to help in that area, though thankfully didn't mortify her by going into detail at that moment.

That was just too much to think about right now. She had to explain everything to Harry before Ron woke up. Hopefully he'll know how to tell their hot-headed friend in a way that will keep Ron from trying to kill her betrothed. Oh bugger. She would sign Malfoy's engagement form tonight and a magically filled copy would appear in the Office of Documents and Declarations, making their arrangement binding.

So it was time to get up. After only three hours of sleep, Hermione Granger slowly turned the covers up and slid her feet onto the floor. Ginny stirred slightly as Hermione got off of the bed, but thankfully did not wake up when Hermione cautiously creaked open the door. Being careful not to step on the squeaky board outside of Ginny's room, Hermione made her way up to where Harry and Ron slept.

Slowly turning the cold doorknob, she peaked her head in. Thankful for Ron's loud snoring as a cover, she made her way to Harry's bed. Knowing how startled he can get, she tapped Harry's shoulder and then stepped back a few paces. As she expected, Harry sprung up from the bed with his wand in hand. They had all come to sleep with their wands under their pillows now-a-days. Nowhere was completely safe.

Putting down his wand arm, Harry spoke in a rushed whisper. "Bullocks, Hermione you scared me. What's wrong?" He reached for his glasses on the bedside table and put back down his wand.

"Come with me. We need to talk."

She gestured for him to follow her and they made their way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Thankfully Molly wouldn't be awake for another hour yet, the sun was only just beginning to rise.

"Sit please. We have a lot to discuss." He followed her instructions, sitting to the left of the head of the table where Arthur Weasley usually read his paper.

After casting Silencing Charms around the room, Hermione sat beside him.

"What I am about to tell you Harry is extremely important. Now that the Ministry of Magic knows about the prophecy, they misguidedly think they can help beat He Who Shall Not Be Named by encouraging marriages." He was about to open his mouth, but she hushed him.

"Yeah, I know Harry it doesn't make any sense. Regardless, it has happened and since He Who Shall Not Be Named couldn't stop it from passing he has done the best he can to turn this situation to his favor. He plans to trap as many influential witches as he can into marriages with Death Eaters. This way he can have more control over the war. As you can imagine, I am one of the people he plans to trap. They must have someone in the Office of Documents and Declarations. We may never know who exactly. But someone there is on his side and only propositions from Death Eaters have been declared for me."

She got up to make some tea as Harry mulled this over.

"We are planning on going on the run anyway, why does this even matter? You'll be with us."

Sighing, Hermione wished it were that easy. "I'm sure it was probably one of his followers that came up with this idea, but they have put The Trace back on every eligible witches' wand, no matter their age. As long as I practice magic, they will know where I am. The spell will be lifted once I am married and have complied with the law.

"At that point my wedding band will be bewitched to let them know if I share a bed with my husband. I'm sure they can probably tell where I am with a few illegal tweaks of the binding magic on my ring. I'm a liability. I have to get married, so I can't go with you. You must have figured some of this out or you wouldn't have told Ginny that your marriage would have to wait."

Harry seemed to sputter at that.

"Don't worry Harry. Someone in the Order of the Phoenix has reached out to me with a plan. It's not a plan I want to partake in but it will keep me safe from as much as danger as possible, by hiding me in plain sight. I'll be at Hogwarts so I'll be able to keep an eye on Ginny and the other students while also continuing my education. Most importantly of all, I'll have access to thousands of books in both the Hogwarts library and from other sources. I'll be able to help plan the mission and send you information. We just need to find a way to communicate in secret."

Hermione took a deep breath, her memorized speech now over. Harry pushed his glasses back up his nose, she really needed to get him a pair that fit him. "That's a bit of a relief to hear. If you can't be with us then Hogwarts is a great option. But who could you marry at Hogwarts if you are only getting proposals from Death Eaters?"

She was happy that Harry seemed to see the sense in this plan. He sat with his hands clenched on the table staring at her. Hermione was less than excited to share this part of the plan with him but it would certainly be easier to tell Harry than it would to tell Ron.

"After I tell you Harry, I need you to remain calm. This person is completely trustworthy, at least in this regard, despite what we have been lead to believe. I've conferred with Dumbledore's portrait and all this person has told me is correct. This is truly the best decision."

Before she lost her nerve, Hermione took a deep breath and blurted out what she knew Harry would find to be the hardest thing to comprehend about this day.

"I am going to marry Draco Malfoy. One week from today."

Hermione felt very grateful for her decision to cast Silencing Charms around the room.

-o-

Next time on _For the Cause, For Herself_ :

Snape walked to the fireplace and picked up one of the books on the mantelpiece. Apparently the title _Not All Is As It Seems_ was a literal interpretation of the book itself because when Snape opened up the front cover and turned to what seemed to her to be a random page, he stuck his hand right through the center of the book's pages. Out he pulled a vial containing a shimmering liquid, a memory.

"This is for Mr. Potter's eyes only. Understood?"

Headmaster Snape could not seem to look her in the eye again after the exchange.

-o-

A/N: There will be much more Hermione/Draco in the future. There just needs to be a few set up chapters first. Sorry for the tease! I know a lot of this is a stretch, but that's fanfiction for you! I've had to manipulate many aspects and character traits to start the story off. I hope you enjoy all the twists and turns once things get started.

Don't forget to leave your thoughts in a review! Thank you to everyone that has followed and favorited the story thus far.


	5. A Little White Lie

Previously on _For the Cause, For Herself_ :

"After I tell you Harry, I need you to remain calm. This person is completely trustworthy, at least in this regard, despite what we have been lead to believe. I've conferred with Dumbledore's portrait and all this person has told me is correct. This is truly the best decision."

Before she lost her nerve, Hermione took a deep breath and blurted out what she knew Harry would find to be the hardest thing to comprehend about this day.

"I am going to marry Draco Malfoy. One week from today."

-o-

Chapter 5: A Little White Lie

It took several minutes to get Harry to calm down enough for her to explain further and to give him the memories Headmaster Snape had given her. It was a very awkward exchange.

Shortly after Hermione had asked Snape how she was supposed to convince Harry that he was indeed on their side and that Draco was the best option for her, Snape walked to the fireplace and picked up one of the books on the mantelpiece.

Apparently the title _Not All Is As It Seems_ was a literal interpretation of the book itself because when Snape opened up the front cover and turned to what seemed to her to be a random page, he stuck his hand right through the center of the book's pages. Out he pulled a vial containing a shimmering liquid, a memory.

"This is for Mr. Potter's eyes only. Understood?"

Headmaster Snape could not seem to look her in the eye again after the exchange.

"Here Harry, this is evidence of Headmaster Snape's true allegiances." She handed him the purple and silver swirling memories, contained only by a small vial.

"He is the one that came up with this plan. He wouldn't show me what is in this vial, saying that it was just for you to see. Okay? There is a Pensieve in the hall closet. Just give me a moment and I'll get it for you."

When she returned with the floating Pensieve following behind her, Harry poured in the liquid and started viewing the memory straight away. Hermione found it odd to be staring at someone with their head ducked in a bowl of swirling memories, as she had never seen someone use a Pensieve in person before.

Even though she knew the basic mechanics of how it worked and had seen diagrams in her books, she didn't feel prepared for the silence. But sure enough twenty minutes later Harry emerged. She was surprised to see tears were streaming down his face.

She didn't know what to say other than the typical "What happened? Are you okay, Harry?"

He didn't answer for a moment, he just stared at the Pensieve in front of him. Hermione nervously fiddled with her tea cup. They didn't have much more time, Mrs. Weasley would be up in shortly.

Snapping out his odd behavior, Harry wiped at his eyes and nodded at Hermione.

"What was in the memory?" She knew she shouldn't ask but Harry's reaction was so strong, she just needed to know.

"It was memories from Snape's past. It explained why he changed sides and about Dumbledore's cursed hand. I imagine you know about why Snape killed him?"

At her nod, he continued. "It also included some of Malfoy's memories, showing that Malfoy doesn't actually want to follow You Know Who. That is all I feel comfortable talking about right now. Malfoy will probably tell you at one point after the wedding, or maybe he won't. I don't know…"

She hoped the memories were enough, they certainly seemed to have an impact on him. Hermione decided she would add inquiring about Malfoy's memories to her growing list of things to investigate about her new situation. It was almost 7 AM and Mrs. Weasley would be making breakfast any minute now, so she pushed her mental list aside.

"So you feel more comfortable with the plan now? Do you trust Headmaster Snape? And Malfoy?"

"Yes. I hate to think of them helping us, I can't just ignore our past with them, but I do believe that they don't want You Know Who to succeed."

Hermione nodded, "Okay, so what we need to do now is figure out a way to communicate while I'm at Hogwarts and decide how to tell Ron."

Hermione conjured a pen and paper with a flick of her wand. It was time to get organized.

Harry spoke as Hermione scribbled a few ideas down, "I don't think we should tell Ron. At least not tell him the full story. Even if he saw these memories too or heard that you talked to Dumbledore's portrait, it wouldn't convince him you'd be safe with Snape and Malfoy. I can't even believe it myself."

He seemed almost queasy at the thought, dropping his head into his hands for a moment. Again Hermione wondered what possibly could have been in those memories. Hermione bit her lip and tapped her pen on her piece of paper repeatedly as she thought. Good thing she had started to use Muggle pens again instead of continuing to use quills. Quills make such a mess.

An idea popped into her head. "What if I told him I was going to marry Neville? He doesn't know yet I've only received Death Eater proposals. We could explain part of the plan, that I was going to hide in plain sight at Hogwarts and try to gather information. Then you and Ron could leave to find the Horcruxes and by the time the news of my wedding to Malfoy broke, it would be too late."

Harry seemed to think on that for a moment but before they could discuss that idea further, Mrs. Weasley came bustling into the kitchen.

"Oh hello dears. What are you doing up so early? And with my Pensieve, how odd. I completely forgot I had one. It was a gift from Arthur you know, after Ginny started school."

Readjusting her tattered robe, she walked past them to the icebox to take out the ingredients she would need for breakfast that morning.

"Oh sorry Mrs. Weasley, Hermione was just showing me how she performed the Obliviate spell on her parents. It's tough for her to relive but we felt it would be important information to have, just in case."

Hermione would have to applaud Harry for his cleverness later. Molly had been horrified at what Hermione had to do to her parents to keep them safe. This explanation would stop Mrs. Weasley from pressing further.

And so it did. "Oh, right. You never know what you'll need to know. I agree. Now if you both will excuse me, I have a lot to prepare a big breakfast for today. Hogwarts letters should be coming in! I don't know how they are going to accommodate the few married couples. How improper."

Mrs. Weasley seemed to grumble those last bits to herself, flicking her wand around the kitchen at what appeared to be no particular pattern.

Hermione had almost forgotten. They hadn't notified the school, of course, that they would be going on the run so they would all be getting letters. Now Hermione would actually need her letter, come to think of it. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley knew that the trio had a secret mission given to them by Dumbledore but the details had not been given, she figured Mrs. Weasley was still hoping they'd change their mind.

Harry and Hermione left the room, depositing the Pensieve back into the closet. They started to hear movement around the house so Harry suggested "Hey Hermione. I know you aren't a big fan of quidditch but I'm wondering if you could help me with my broom. Mine has some dents in it. Maybe you know a spell to fix it? It'd be great not to spend that money. Let me show you, my broom is in the shed outside." Good cover, good cover indeed. Harry was better at deception than she had realized.

Once hidden in the quidditch supply shed, Harry and Hermione continued to iron out the details.

Hermione was going to send an owl to Neville warning him that she was using him as a cover, swearing he would know why once school started. Then over breakfast before the Hogwarts letters came in, Hermione would tell the Weasleys she was going to marry Neville Longbottom. She was worried but since everyone in the family knew Neville and had respect for his family, they would hopefully not throw a fit over the fact that she wasn't going to marry Ron. Then hopefully the Hogwarts letters would arrive at the opportune moment and distract the family.

In private, Hermione would plead for Ginny to come with her to Hogwarts a week ahead of schedule to help Hermione set up her wedding and rooms with Neville. Then once they were at Hogwarts, she'd tell Ginny the truth and a basic explanation of Harry and Ron's plan to run away. Meanwhile at the Burrow, Harry and Ron would be planning to leave two days later - right after they tested communicating with Hermione at Hogwarts.

"This is getting pretty crazy, isn't it?" Harry commented.

"Definitely."

Harry also explained to Hermione that he told Ginny that they would have to wait until Voldemort was defeated before getting married but if the law didn't get overturned before her birthday, that they would get married early. It wasn't exactly what Ginny had hoped for but it seemed to please the family.

"Hermione, I really hope I didn't unintentionally lie to her. This is a promise I need to keep. We need to defeat him before she finishes school."

"I know Harry. I'll do the best I can to help you both while at Hogwarts. Headmaster Snape knows so much about You Know Who and the Dark Arts, the amount of information he can give us will make a difference for us. Malfoy will help as well, since his family has so many connections. I know it will."

"I hope you're right." Harry paused before continuing.

Before they could discuss further, Ron opened the door.

"Have you all gone mental? What are you doing in the cupboard?"

Hermione stood up from the floor and brushed dirt off of her pajamas, if she had been in here with anyone other than Harry this would have looked very inappropriate. She moved past Ron and out of the shed.

"Good morning Ron. Harry and I were just ironing out some of the details for our plans and we didn't want to be interrupted by your parents."

Harry got up and joined them.

"Yes, Ron we think there is something you should know before we have breakfast and tell your mum."

Ron looked nervously between the two. "Okay…" He said slowly.

Hermione tried to avoid his eyes, this was just the worst situation. Thankfully Harry took the leap for her. "We have decided that Hermione should marry Neville. This way she will be safe at Hogwarts and able to do some research for us while we hunt for Horcruxes. We're still working out a way that we can communicate to each other without using owls."

With his pale complexion, it was quite easy to see when Ron's anger boiled up within him. His eyebrows scrunched closer together and he exclaimed "Oh, I see! You two have decided. You two, with no input from me. It's not like this changes my life at all."

Ron didn't talk to Hermione the rest of the day, in fact he barely spoke to Hermione the whole rest of her last week at The Burrow. The Weasley's were very disappointed with her decision when she explained it at the table this morning. Molly even distanced herself from Hermione, making sly remarks every now and then that seemed to insinuate that Hermione would regret not choosing Ron. She hoped that would not be true. Hermione tried not to get frustrated at Molly, it was only logical for her to think Ron would be the best option.

The Hogwarts letters didn't even improve the mood of the household. Not only was none of the Golden Trio chosen to be Head Boy or Head Girl, they weren't even Prefects. Not that it mattered since only Hermione would be returning, but the Board of Governors at Hogwarts didn't know that yet.

The list of books required for school were also considerably darker than expected. Apparently Mr. and Mrs. Weasley didn't believe that Snape would actually be Headmaster, despite them knowing it to be true for weeks now. There was some talk about changing schools but Ginny, with her remarkable debate talents, was able to turn them around.

Ginny had thankfully also agreed to go to Hogwarts early with Hermione to help her get settled and plan the wedding. Molly did not object as much as Hermione thought she would at not being included in the wedding plans. Their relationship was only bound to get worse from here on out. Hermione cried the night she made this revelation. She truly had no mother left.

As each day passed, Hermione fell more into her loneliness. She made lists and lists about lists, packed and repacked, made emergency provisions and put together Muggle camping equipment for the boys, created an Extendible Charm for their backpacks, and dozens of other little activities to pass her time.

She spoke with Snape and Malfoy on a few occasions as well. They only talked of their plans in the vaguest of ways, just in case their letters were intercepted, but with the isolation she was starting to feel from the Weasley clan (even somewhat from Ginny) Hermione found herself looking forward to seeing the crow that brought Snape and Malfoy's letters. As quiet as the crow was, it had a very human look to its eyes.

Some nights, the crow felt like her only friend. Hermione would have to remember to ask Snape or Malfoy the animal's name when she saw them next.

Malfoy's letter today was brief, just reminding her of what time she and Ginny were to meet him in Headmaster Snape's office tomorrow. Hermione didn't need to send a response but somehow the crow knew not to leave. She gently rubbed underneath the crow's chin and his little eyes seemed to sparkle with delight. This happy little moment with the crow, as cute as it was, sent her over the edge of her expanding pool of sadness.

As she sat on her bed with the crow beside her, Hermione couldn't contain her feelings anymore. In a moment that felt like it had been building up for years, Hermione cried. She curled herself into the smallest ball possible, quivering with the weight of her feelings.

Ten minutes later, Ginny found Hermione in bed with the crow sitting beside her. It was quite a sight to see a crow trying to comfort a crying girl. Without arms he was attempting to nuzzle into Hermione's side. Crows were definitely not as comfortable as cats, Hermione thought as she remembered Crookshanks. At least she felt relief in knowing that her pet was protecting her parents in Australia. The half-Kneazle was fierce when she needed to be.

"Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed, dropping to her knees by Hermione's bed. "What's wrong?"

Ginny reached a hand out to push some of Hermione's bushy hair from her face.

"Oh Ginny, I just didn't expect this year to be so horrible. How am I going to do this? Weddings are supposed to be exciting occasions and no one wants to even see how I am or how I feel. Harry is busy consoling Ron, your family is angry that I didn't choose him, and we aren't talking anymore. I feel so alone."

Ginny's eyes welled up a bit before she spoke. "Hermione, you know I think of you as my sister. Sure I thought one day that you and Ron would be together, but I understand why that can't happen now. Harry didn't tell me much but he did say that if you got married to Ron that you wouldn't be able to help them, it's a sacrifice that you are making but at least you'll have Nevile. He is a great person." Ginny tried to console Hermione, not knowing that those words hurt her even more.

"I'm sorry I haven't been paying attention to you, I've just been so involved in the thought that Harry might marry me when he comes back that I wasn't really seeing how you've been feeling."

Hermione choked a bit, crying harder at the mention of Nevile. The crow hopped up, pecking at her sweater. Hermione moved to sit, moving the crow onto her shoulder with her hand.

Ginny glanced up at the bird questionably and asked "That crow has been with you a lot. Is it Neville's?" The crow squawked indignantly at that, Hermione almost laughed. "Yes, I've been talking with Neville. He is going to meet us tomorrow at Hogwarts."

"Hm, I wouldn't have thought a crow would get along with his toad. Oh well. Do you need help packing?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, I'm all ready to go."

"Okay, then you just try to get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow."

Hermione agreed and started to put away some of her lists so that she could lay down. The crow pecked her hair for a moment and then flew up to the windowsill, waiting there. She threw a treat up to him and the bird ate it before flying off.

As Ginny took off her robe and settled into bed as she asked "So, are you going to tell me what Harry and Ron's plan is? How they are going about defeating him?"

Hermione glanced up at her for a moment before she got into bed herself, there was no question as to who him referred to. "Yes, but not until we have gotten to Hogwarts. There is a lot I'm going to need help with."

Ginny nodded in understanding. "Okay. Let's just focus on getting to Hogwarts first."

Hermione blew out the candles and lay in bed, contemplating how she was going to keep Ginny from hexing her after she reveals she denied Ron's proposal not for the sweet Neville Longbottom, their longtime friend, but for the enemy. The thought of her wedding, and her wedding night, kept Hermione up for much longer than she had anticipated.

-o-

Next time on _For the Cause, For Herself_ :

Draco and Headmaster Snape seemed very bored during this interaction, talking among themselves and drinking far too much tea. Eventually, Draco interrupted "Look, She-Weasel. I have no intention of hurting our favorite Know It All."

A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you all are having a lovely day. I start work again tomorrow, ending my six week maternity leave. So sad to be without my baby! Some reviews are sure to pep me up a bit, what do you say?


	6. Whisper

Previously on _For the Cause, For Herself_ :

"What if I told him I was going to marry Neville? He doesn't know yet I've only received Death Eater proposals. We could explain part of the plan, that I was going to hide in plain sight at Hogwarts and try to gather information. Then you and Ron could leave to find the Horcruxes and by the time the news of my wedding to Malfoy broke, it would be too late. Then you could tell him the rest of the plan."

-o-

Chapter 6: Whisper

Morning came quickly, too quickly for the sleepy eyed Gryffindor girls and now Hermione and Ginny were saying goodbye to the Weasley clan. Ginny was going to side-along Apparate with Hermione to the gates of Hogwarts, which meant Hermione was approaching her new life as a spy, and wife, quicker than she would have liked.

Ginny, blissfully unaware of how scared Hermione was to be back at Hogwarts, talked chipperly about what Hermione should wear for her wedding day as they walked from the Apparition zone beyond the Hogwart's gates and up to the castle doors.

Professor McGonagall met the girls in the entrance hall.

"Hello dears!" She happily greeted them, hugging both of them before turning to Hermione. "As much as I detest this Marriage Act I was intrigued to hear of your match with Mr. Longbottom. I hadn't realized you both were so close." She wrapped a hand around Hermione's shoulder and led the girls through the entrance.

Swallowing the truth, Hermione spoke one of her prepared statements "Yes, he is a dear friend." Ginny seemed to think this was a good time to spread rumors so she added "Don't be modest Hermione. Oh Professor, they have been seeing each other in secret for some time now."

Hermione elbowed Ginny in the ribs, Ginny attempted to hide her grunt and smiled mischievously.

"How wonderful for you Miss Granger, I am quite surprised." Minerva cleared her throat and seemed to shut down for a moment, her smile quickly disappearing. "Well, I hear that the Headmaster has a meeting scheduled with you two so I'll be on my way."

Hermione realized then that her initial thoughts about keeping the plan a secret from Professor McGonagall were correct as Minerva couldn't even hide her distaste over Snape in the company of students.

When the Professor walked away, Ginny swated at Hermione. "What was that for?!"

"Why would you start a rumor about Neville and I?" Hermione asked, exasperatedly throwing her hands up.

"Hermione, you saw how McGonagall reacted. No one is going to believe you aren't marrying Ron if there isn't a believable reason for you to be marrying Neville. Now come on, we are going to be late."

Ginny hurried her steps towards the Headmaster's office.

-o-

This couldn't have gone any more horribly, Hermione thought as Ginny pushed her behind her back.

"Get away from her!" Ginny yelled at Headmaster Snape and the laughing Draco Malfoy. To Hermione, she said "Stay back. You are under the Imperius Curse. Don't worry, I'll protect you."

Turning back towards Hermione's supposed curse casters, she fired a Bat Boogey hex, nearly missing the Headmaster as he aimed his wand towards Ginny.

Startled, Ginny yelped when Snape disarmed her and with a few swift wand movements tied her to a chair with a magically appearing rope. She was about to yell when a gag appeared over Ginny's mouth as well. Hermione turned to glare at the two Death Eaters.

"Is this really necessary?!" She huffed and crossed her arms. This was a horrible scenario indeed.

"Granger, I can't believe you thought the little Weaslette should be part of our new circle. She clearly can't take the pressure." Draco looked at Ginny, seeming to analyze her struggling form in the chair.

"It will just take her a few minutes to accept it. Thinking I'm going to marry Neville was one thing but then throwing in you..." She gestured towards his tall form. "You have to admit anyone would assume I was under a curse. There is no way I'd willingly marry you."

Draco feigned a shocked expression "Oh really? You mean you don't actually find me so dangerously attractive that you decided to join the Dark Lord? I am shocked." Draco put his hand over his chest, as if wounded by the thought.

Ginny's eyes widened as she looked between Hermione and Draco. Hermione quickly turned to her to ease her fears. "No Ginny, they are on our side. I'm not becoming a Death Eater. Malfoy is just toying with you."

Taking a deep breath, Hermione leaned down so that she was level with the tied up Ginny and looked into her eyes.

"Ginny, Harry knows about this plan so you can confirm it with him. I am going to be a spy for Harry and Ron while they are on their mission. Long story short, my only option was to marry a Death Eater that was loyal to the Order. Believe it or not, Draco and Headmaster Snape do not actually want You Know Who to win."

"Aw Granger, already calling me by my first name? I knew you couldn't resist me."

Hermione turned to see Draco wiggling his eyebrows at her. Headmaster Snape snapped at his godson "Draco, behave."

Instead, her future husband rolled his eyes and lounged back into his armchair and kicked up his feet in a very relaxed position. Hermione couldn't help but let her eyes wander for a moment. His once lanky frame had grown bulkier this past year, a blossom of muscles starting to form beneath his impeccable robes. He definitely was more attractive than Ron, he was right there.

Shaking her head, she turned back to the squirming Ginny.

"If I untie you, will you promise to hear us out?"

Ginny nodded slowly, looking back and forth between the three unlikely allies. Hermione slowly unfurled the rope tying her best female friend down and took a step back.

Without a second's hesitation, Ginevra Weasley launched into a series of difficult and hard hitting questions.

"Are you actually going to have his baby?

What does Ron think?

Are you sure you are not being possessed by a diary?

What about Neville?

What will you tell the school?

Will you go to Death Eater meetings?

Will you be forced to take the mark?

Will you have to interact with You Know Who?"

It took three hours for Hermione to share the specifics of their plan. "No, Snape has a plan that will help us hold off children for as long as possible...Ron does not known about the plan yet...Of course, there is no procession involved...Neville is not actually involved in the plan...The school will no doubt assume that I've been possessed as you had guessed, or physically assaulted so that Harry behaves...I may have to go to a meeting or two, but most likely not often since they can't call Draco away while he is at school...I won't take the mark...I hope I don't meet him."

Draco and Headmaster Snape seemed very bored during this interaction, often talking among themselves and drinking far too much tea. Eventually, Draco interrupted "Look, She-Weasel. I have no intention of hurting our favorite Know It All."

He stood up and walked towards the door, "See you tomorrow, Granger."

Hermione nodded at him, risking a glance into his eyes. They both knew what was happening tomorrow.

In the only occupied girl's dormitory in Gryffindor tower that night, Ginny asked in a whisper "Will you have to sleep with him?"

In an equally as small voice, Hermione said "Yes."

-o-

Next time on _For the Cause, For Herself_ :

"I, Draco Malfoy, pledge to be faithful and honorable to our union."

-o-

A/N: Squueeeeeeee how exciting! Things are going to ramp up in the story fairly quickly now, I'm sure I'll miss many plot holes but I'm doing my best in the setup to cover as many bases as possible. I hope you enjoy and R&R.

Don't forget to check out my Wattpad account, linked in my profile, for original poetry and fiction.


	7. A Blushing Bride

A/N: One of the longest chapters yet! Enjoy and review afterward with your thoughts! Since it's so long, the wedding night will be in the next update. Today's chapter covers just the ceremony and the party. More notes below.

-o-

Previously on _For the Cause, For Herself_ :

"It will just take her a few minutes to accept it. Thinking I'm going to marry Neville was one thing but then throwing in you..." She gestured towards his tall form. "You have to admit anyone would assume I was under a curse. There is no way I'd willingly marry you."

-o-

Chapter 7: A Blushing Bride

Hermione gathered her things and left the Prefect's bathroom, having stolen a few minutes to shower and do her hair before joining Ginny to get ready, she bumped in a solid form and fell to the floor.

"Oufh. Watch out!" The figure gruffed, then picking himself up from the floor said "Oh, hi Granger." She had bumped into her groom, wasn't it bad luck for them to meet before the wedding? Hermione seemed to remember some muggle tradition that mentioned that idea.

Picking up her bag of toiletries from the ground, she looked up at Draco. She wasn't expecting to see him so early and her throat hadn't warmed up quite yet, she tried to keep from croaking as she spoke her first words of the day. "Good morning" she spoke quietly.

Draco bent down to help her pick up a few of the items that had scattered onto the tiled bathroom entrance. He handed her a few bottles, helped her up, and then abruptly did a double take.

"How? Your hair?" He was miraculously as stunned as she hoped he would be. It was definitely a good idea to get the deluxe Sleakeazy kit, Hermione thought. While her and Draco weren't actually a couple in the traditional sense, it was nice to have someone be surprised by her appearance.

Hermione gingerly reached up and brushed a sleek strand from her face. "Yes, it's for...You know. The wedding."

Draco eyes widened marginally, almost as if he forgot about the occasion. "Ah, yes. Not too long from now." His weight shifted from one leg to the other, seemingly at a loss for words.

The stubborn strand fell past her ears and into her face again, too smooth to stay in place. She reached up again to tug it back when a hand stopped her. Draco was closer to her now, his hand moving past hers to stroke the hair that had gotten in the way. He gently tucked it behind her ears himself, looking from her ear to her eyes, and then away. His breath tickled her eyes and she blinked, this strange moment over within seconds.

He stepped back, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I'll see you in a few hours, Granger." And then walked away, as if they were friends going to met up for a study group and not about to get married for the foreseeable future.

Hermione's face turned a bright crimson and the heat from the shower seemed to return in a flash, warming the space above her chest. Before her thoughts could run away with her, before she could even catalog this strange occurrence in her running list of odd things Draco Malfoy has done this week, she turned and ran towards the Gryffindor dormitory.

Hermione almost wished she could speed past her wedding day so that she could start working on helping Harry and Ron fight Voldemort. Almost.

-o-

Ginny, blurry eyed and groggy, complained when Hermione tried shaking her awake. "It's too early, go away!" Ginny growled, the sound muffled by the blanket she pulled over her head.

"Please Ginny, the wedding is in four hours!" and suddenly the fair skinned witch was up and ready to help Hermione get ready.

In a blur Hermione was getting tweezed and plucked, covered in liquids and powders, highlighted with a soft pink pearlescent cream... Ginny kept speaking throughout the process, explaining her makeup tricks as she went, "You know, just in case you want to recreate the look." And it all went over Hermione's head. She tried to pay attention, but the hammering in her heart was too loud, the chill in the air too crisp, and in what felt like a moment it was now time to work on the dress.

Wizards could use magic to make dresses fit just right, but they could only do so much when it came to complete alterations. The base dress couldn't be too far removed from what the wearer wanted the end result to be. With her limited budget, Hermione was able to find a simple off-white dress with sheer cap sleeves in a billowy material. No deep v-cut, no long train, just a simple long white dress. She wanted to feel beautiful, but Hermione also didn't want to wear something elaborate since only five people would be in attendance. She had never imagined an elaborate wedding for herself anyway.

When she slipped into the dress, Ginny gasped.

"Oh, Hermione. You look so beautiful. Where did you find it?"

Hermione turned to look in the mirror, and found a girl that she did not recognize. A smooth haired woman stared back at her, glowing and happy, waiting for her moment. The pearl shimmer cream Ginny had used on her brought the whole look together, reflecting slightly in the light from the window and bringing out the tones in her hair, contrasting with her dress. Hermione had never felt so beautiful. If only Ron could see her now, and it wasn't all for a boy she had spent years hating.

Before she could answer Ginny, a tap tap came from the window. They both turned to see Malfoy's crow holding a box outside the windowsill. Ginny went to open the clasp and reached for the package, but the crow pecked at her hand and flew past, sitting on the dresser next to Hermione.

"Rude!" Ginny exclaimed, rubbing her hand.

Not noticing, Hermione said "Thank you, Darkling." when he flew towards her.

As Hermione had kept forgetting to ask the crows name, she had started to refer to him by this new nickname. The crow seemed to enjoy it, rubbing his head into the palm of Hermione's hand as she gave him a little pat before taking the box. Darkling stared at her for a moment before swooping off.

Hermione gingerly sat down, trying to make sure she didn't wrinkle the dress, and stared at the long rectangular box. Even the box looked expensive! She wondered what could possibly be inside, and why Draco would give her a present in the first place.

Ginny bounced down beside her, "Well, open it!" She said excitedly, Ginny was always overly eager about gifts.

Stroking the side of the velvet box, Hermione lifted the lid. Inside there was an elegant thin silver chain with a small silver heart. Engraved in the middle was her soon to be initials, HGM, Hermione Granger Malfoy.

Lifting up the necklace into the light for a better look, Hermione couldn't help but tear up. "Why would Malfoy me a present? I don't understand. He should be sending my cursed items meant to hurt me, instead I'm getting customized jewelry, as if this were a real marriage. I don't understand."

Ginny silently looked from Hermione to the necklace, and then back again.

"Look, Hermione. I know that this marriage was put together for the Order, to help save the world. But maybe..." She looked back at the locket, "Maybe it won't be as bad as you're expecting."

Hermione nodded. "I know. Draco was kind, albeit still snarky, but kind all the same when we exchanged letters. He doesn't want this, but I think he'll take it seriously. Which is more than I expected, honestly. I just don't know how to feel." A lone tear streamed down Hermione's left cheek and the two hugged.

Then Ginny stood and helped Hermione get back up, brushing her hair to the side to help her put on her new necklace.

"Come on, we need to make a few little alterations and time is running out. Soon you'll be a Malfoy. I'd rather have you as my sister than Malfoy's wife but hey, this will have some advantages as well." Ginny, in an effort to lighten the mood, spoke in a higher pitched voice as she added "Think of the money!"

It did make Hermione laugh, even though she had no intentions of touching Malfoy's money, and she smiled as she and Ginny put the final touches on their looks.

-o-

It was time. Ginny stood in a rose gold knee length dress and Hermione in her wedding white, and headed out the door. The elves had already stopped by to pick up her trunk and bring it over to the new Malfoy quarters, a repurposed chamber Hogwarts would keep for visiting families, and made their way down the steps and out of Gryffindor tower.

Slowly marching towards the Great Hall, which Headmaster Snape has offered them for their private ceremony, Hermione tried to soothe her nerves. Counting seemed to help. Counting her breaths, 532, her steps, 762, how many times Ginny nervously touched her hair, 12.

And then her breath was caught in her throat, they were stopped, and Ginny was now adjusting Hermione's hair instead of her own.

"Are you ready?" Ginny inquired.

"No." Hermione shook her head.

The music started anyway.

"Well, we have time to talk about your feelings during the reception. Don't worry, this is only temporary. It will be over in a few short months." Ginny readjusted her outfit, quickly conjured a white lily, and handed it to Hermione.

"Good luck." Ginny gave her a quick and gentle hug and then opened the doors, walking through them to precede Hermione.

Hermione counted to 30 and then entered the Great Hall.

-o-

To Hermione's great surprise, the hall was decorated. No, not as extravagantly as she'd assume a Malfoy wedding to be. And no, not as lovingly put together as she'd seen at Fleur and Bill's wedding. But this was something different, simple but elegant. Like her necklace.

Since they had invited as little amount of people as possible, to keep the wedding a secret for as long as possible, there was only one place for seating towards the left of the room near a refreshment and sweet table. Then there was ten wicker chairs lined up, five on each side, and a lace runner down the center of the aisle for Hermione to walk down.

At the top of the aisle, was a small archway also lined with lilies, which made Hermione wonder how Ginny knew what flower to give her. Ginny stood off to the left as her only bridesmaid, Headmaster Snape was standing where she had hoped her childhood priest would have been, and then Draco...The sight of Draco made her pause.

He was wearing the sharpest suit she had ever seen, with a dark emerald green tie. His hair was pushed back with gel as usual, but it seemed to have been done so with more care that she'd normally seen. And his eyes, his grey eyes seemed to shine on her. Looking into her so deeply, in a way that she had never seen anyone look at her before.

Hermione willed her legs to keep moving, told her brain to get it together, and reminded her heart that it needed to keep beating a little longer. That it needs to find a rhythm before the end of this aisle because if not this would all be over. She needed to stay alive long enough to help her friends, long enough to enjoy this day, even if it wasn't how she had intended for it to be.

And then she was standing in front of him. Draco smiled softly at her, and brought his hands to take hers, then they both turned to Snape.

Snape cleared his throat and began to recite.

"Witches and wizards, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of the Granger and Malfoy households as well as the binding of Hermione and Draco in marriage. May Merlin bless their union. Draco, repeat after me...

"I, Draco Malfoy, pledge to be faithful and honorable to our union."

Draco follows, "I, Draco Malfoy, pledge to be faithful and honorable to our union."

"In sickness and in health, in prosperity and in hardship, I pledge to love you and support you as my wife."

Slowly, Draco mimics "In sickness and in health, in prosperity and in hardship, I pledge to love you and support you as my wife."

"Until my dying days."

"Until my dying days."

Draco slipped a simple ministry mandated band onto Hermione's hand, holding her hand in his. And as Hermione repeated the same words he had just uttered, she tried to take them as seriously as Draco seemed too. No, they weren't a long love story finally coming together, and they weren't friends that finally realized their feelings for each other, but they were going to be spending the war together. That was no small matter. She felt his hands tighten around hers as she spoke "until my dying days" and she gently squeezed back before taking the ring Ginny handed to her and slipping it onto Malfoy's ring finger.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

And in an awkward shuffle towards each other, Draco lightly touched his lips to hers. It was done. The music turned up again and they turned to face the crowd.

In the ten small seats held many unhappy people, Hermione's horrified professors, and Draco's parents. They all clapped politely, with the exception of Lucius Malfoy, as Hermione and Draco walked hand and hand down the aisle and out the door.

-o-

While Hermione and Draco waited outside of the hall for the room to be rearranged for a small party, they both silently pondered how they should act around each other.

"So, Granger-"

She interrupted him, "Call me Hermione."

"Oh, right. Hermione." He looked at her, stepping closer and speaking frankly. "Hermione, I know that I am a git. I'm rude, entitled, and honestly I usually like being that way. I generally get everything that I want and that has just always been how my life has been."

Hermione shuffled her feet, "What exactly are you getting at, Draco?" This was not how she pictured her first conversation as a wife going.

"I just wanted to let you know, I know that about myself. But that isn't how I intend on treating you."

Hermione's head shot up. "Really?"

With a slow seeming reluctance, he moved even closer to her. They were so close, she could hear the inhalations and exhalations between his words. Hermione started counting those breaths, matching hers to his.

"Really. Sure, I still think that being pureblood makes a difference...But things have happened to me, and to people I care about, things I may tell you about one day...That have taught me that it isn't the most important thing. I'm not going to let someone entrusted in my care, my wife no less, feel like she is anything less than what she is."

A few inches closer still. "And I know that, for some insane reason, you still have some feelings for that buffoon Weasley. I understand that, more than you know."

And then his hand was slowly inching up, making small circles on Hermione's arms, "But I intend this to be a marriage. Neither of us may make it through this war. So this could be my… our only shot. I'm going to treat this like it is real."

Then Draco abruptly stood back from her, placed a gentle kiss to Hermione's hand, and walked towards the doors. "I'll see if they need any help in there. See you in a moment."

All Hermione could do to keep from hyperventilating was to start reciting the recipe for Polyjuice Potion in her head, sure that this could not be the Draco Malfoy she had known for seven years.

While she was going over the instructions for long term storage of different potions, Ginny popped her head out. "We're ready for the party, Hermione. Come on!" She beckoned her towards the door.

Hermione closed off her thoughts and stepped forward, into her first occasion as Mrs. Malfoy.

-o-

Draco was waiting for her inside the door, holding out his hand for her to take. There was no first dance, nor a large crowd waiting to give congratulations, but there was a table set up with a simple meal and an oddly jubilant Ginny and a somewhat pleasant looking Mother-In-Law.

Professor McGonagall seemed like she was about to explode any moment, Professor Flitwick just kept looking between Draco and Hermione as if they had slime dripping off of them, and Headmaster Snape was as pensive as ever. Lucius, of course, was scowling. But seated between Draco and Narcissa, Hermione felt quite content.

Maybe, she hoped, being a Malloy wouldn't be too bad.

-o-

Next time on _For the Cause, For Herself_ :

He slowly moved the hands caressing her soft hair down her body, stopping at her back to slowly move her with him backwards towards the bed. Thinking, cataloguing, Hermione tried to keep her senses with her, tried to convince her body that she really should not be enjoying the kiss of a Death Eater so much.

-o-

A/N: We'll get to see a more serious side of Draco and an explanation for his kind behavior towards Hermione in the next chapter! Sorry for the upload delays. Getting back to work after my maternity leave has been tougher than I thought. R&R!


	8. A New Life

Previously on _For the Cause, For Herself_ :

"I, Draco Malfoy, pledge to be faithful and honorable to our union."

-o-

Chapter 8: A New Life

"What would you like the password to be?"

Hermione and Draco stood awkwardly next to each other in front of their new living quarters, a small room close to the Astronomy tower.

Hermione looked towards Draco, seeing his side profile a few inches away from hers. She cleared her throat.

"How about Darkling?"

He raised his brow and turned to look at her. "Why would you suggest that?"

"I like it. It's the name I've been calling your crow. What is his name, by the way?"

Draco smiles slowly, looking back at the door. "He doesn't have a name, actually. So both the password and my crow will be named Darkling. Interesting. Okay, let's go inside then."

Draco completed the spell to lock in the password and opened the door wide. Hermione was about the step through when he said, "Wait!"

She paused and turned around.

"What?"

"I'm supposed to carry you over. Of course. I would assume Know It All Granger would know about that."

Before she could protest, a smirking Draco bent down and scooped Hermione up, carrying her into the room.

Stunned, Hermione just stared at him as he brought her through the door and put her down gently on the bed.

Curiously, she asked "Isn't that only a Muggle tradition?"

He rolled his eyes. "Please Granger, you act as if I'm a complete imbecile. I was forced to take Muggle Studies in 4th year, just like you."

Hermione knew that they did not study wedding traditions in Muggle Studies, but she didn't push the subject. Instead she added it to her mental catalog, labeled "Things to discover about my husband."

Draco turned from her to look around the room.

"Well, this is a lot smaller than I expected." Draco said, in an air that only made it seem like it was a slight disappointment. Hermione found the statement fairly funny, especially since it was much larger than what she expected.

She stood up from the bed and looked around as well. The room was tastefully decorated in deep greens and dark reds, a combination of both of their houses, and held a large bed (to share, which she pretended to forget about at the moment) as well as two dressers, a vanity set, a small writing desk, and a door in the back that she assumed would lead to the bathroom.

She walked towards the door to investigate. Once inside, she turned on the light and found a large claw tub, a toilet, and a his and hers sink. The tile was a dark brown, and the walls were painted green. Malfoy stepped up behind her.

"Ah, at least it has a decent tub."

"I'm more of a shower kind of girl."

She turned around in the small space, finding him close behind her..

"Malfoy, I think we should decide on some ground rules."

He raised his eyebrow and smirked. "So it's Malfoy again, is it?" He turned and walked back into the bedroom, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Alright then, Granger, say what you want to say."

Clearing her throat, Hermione tried to gather her thoughts.

"First, I think we should agree to attempt to become friends. We're going to be spending most of our time together and it might as well be as pleasant as possible."

Rolling his eyes, Draco said "Of course."

"Okay, I think we should also talk about...The sex issue."

He stood a little straighter. "Okay..."

"Um, well..." Hermione shifted nervously. "We are supposed to conceive within a year. After the wedding night, no specific amount of sex is required. Just that we conceive. So we'll have sex now and then hold it off until the last possible moment. If the war isn't over and it's been almost a year, then we'll try for a baby. Deal?"

Draco looked at her silently for a moment before he stood and slowly walked toward her.

Hermione backed away, hitting the dresser when she ran out of space.

"I..." He started. "I have a few stipulations of my own."

Five seconds, within five seconds, he was across the room and in front of Hermione, his arms on either side of the dresser she was trapped against.

"Oh, really?" She tried to remain calm. Was Draco trying to intimidate her? Was his niceness earlier an act? She started counting again. One inhale and one exhale at a time.

"Yes." One of his hands moved from the right side of the dresser and slowly moved up her bare arm. She realized with a start, she was still in her wedding dress...This past few minutes were so odd that she almost forgot that she was probably the prettiest she would ever look, in this exact moment. She actually forgot she was in her new chambers, in a wedding dress, with Draco Malfoy.

"Yes, we'll try to avoid having a child. For now. Not while the Dark Lord lives." He moved his palm to her neck, drawing a few slow circles with the tip of his pointer finger. The circles moved from her neck, downward towards the small heart that sit below collarbone. He fingered the small charm, looking into her eyes. Hermione felt like she couldn't breath, all illusions of control shattered, the counting completely halted, her white dress all to apparent to her now.

"Neither of us wanted to be here. I definitely did not have this in mind. But there are things about me that you don't know, Hermione." Then he trailed that finger upwards again and used it to bring her chin towards him. Unconsciously, Hermione's lips parted.

"Things that I have hidden, parts of me that you believe to be true that are outright lies. I might share my secrets with you one day, once you grow to trust me."

He inched his face towards her, his hot breath lingering on her lips. Both hands were on her now, gently holding her head in place.

"I want you to be my wife. And if it takes us some time to get there, that's okay. But I don't want this to be pretend."

And then he was kissing her. A slow, tender moment that shared more than Hermione could admit to herself. They were just a boy kissing a girl, not a Slytherin kissing a Gryffindor, and certainly not a Pureblood kissing a Mudblood.

He slowly moved the hands caressing her soft hair down her body, stopping at her back to slowly move her with him backwards towards the bed. Thinking, cataloguing, Hermione tried to keep her senses with her, tried to convince her body that she really should not be enjoying the kiss of a Death Eater so much.

But it was no use. She was now a Malfoy. And she was also a spy. She was going to be part of this life, part of his life, and she was going to get information for Harry and Ron. That's what she told herself anyway. Hermione told herself that this searing kiss and the moments that came after it were not for her, they were for the greater good.

She almost believed herself.

-o-

Next time on _For the Cause, For Herself_ :

"I meant what I said Hermione. I never imagined my future being with you..." He leans his head forward, inching it closer to her lips. "But now that it's here, I'm going to work my hardest to make it real."

-o-

A/N: School starts tomorrow. What will the school think of the new couple? What will Neville think when he realizes he was covering for the Malfoy wedding? Review if you are excited!

And as always, here is your periodic reminder to check my profile page for links and information about my poetry and original stories, available on Wattpad.

My Draco is nicer than canon, but I promise you're going to like their chemistry! He'll still have a lot of snarky/mean moments, don't worry, but in my story he has an experience that has changed him. I can't wait for you to read that chapter!


	9. The Real Lies Begin

A/N: Thank you for the reviews duj, Adis25, Sachiko, thatssoravenclaw (awesome name!), TheRavenclawPhoenix, geowynpnn, and vani12! I'm so excited so many people are enjoying the story, favoriting it, and following. More to come, sorry for the delays. If you didn't know, I have a newborn at home. Check out how cute he is on Instagram, link in my profile.

-o-

Previously on _For the Cause, For Herself_ :

And then he was kissing her. A slow, tender moment that shared more than Hermione could admit to herself. They were just a boy kissing a girl, not a Slytherin kissing a Gryffindor, and not a Pureblood kissing a Mudblood.

-o-

Chapter 9: The Real Lies Begin

"Okay, so we're clear on the plan?"

"Yes, Hermione. I get it." Draco murmured, as Hermione helped him straighten his tie. This familiarness between them was odd, but exciting. Hermione had never been intimate with anyone before. Sure, there had been a few rushed moments when Victor had been at Hogwarts, but those moments felt insignificant now.

"Alright. But can we go over it one more time?"

Hermione needed it more for her sake than for his. She needed every detail, so that she could relay it to Harry and Ron. Ron was going to find out shortly about Hermione's new life, and she wanted to make sure everything was as clear as it should be.

"The Dark Lord wanted me to torture you into giving up information on Potter. Instead, I convinced him I could bring you to our-sorry, his side, by getting you to love me. So, we are going to have you slowly appear as if you are becoming more and more involved with me as the school year progresses."

"Right, so I shouldn't be too comfortable with you yet since we just got married." He nods in agreement and adds "And I should also seem a bit controlling of you, since of course, the world thinks I hate you and am using you."

Hermione steps away from him "Right." And then picks up her bag from the floor. She walks towards the door, with Malfoy trailing behind her. Just as she is about to open the door, he puts a hand on her shoulder. Hermione turns around.

"I wanted to let you know, that I likely will say some hurtful things today. Know that I don't mean them."

The sincerity in Draco's voice did make it too his eyes and they seemed to trap Hermione in an unrecognizable moment. She silently nodded, and he let his hand fall.

Walking side by side, close but not touching, they made their way down towards the sounds of the buzzing Great Hall.

-o-

The effect of their entrance did not go unnoticed by the couple. Having one-third of the Golden Trio walk into the Great Hall with the student most people considered the Prince of Slytherin caused the whole hall to go quiet, amplified by the fact that neither Ron nor Harry Potter boarded the train that morning.

As they slowly made their way towards the Slytherin table, Hermione caught Ginny's eye. As the lone Weasley in attending Hogwarts this year, it was easy to catch her red hair in the sea of students at Gryffindor's table. She gave her an encouraging wave and Hermione smiled at the witch.

The silence and curiosity that filled the Slytherin table was palpable. As they sat down, Pansy Parkinson was the first of the females to reveal her claws

"Draco…" Pansy drawled. "Why is the Mudblood sitting next to you?" She perked her chest forward, looking over the table as she spoke.

Setting down his fork, Draco ignored his meal to reply. "Well, because this is _my_ Mudblood, Pansy. We got married yesterday."

Pansy's mouth dropped open, and Draco smirked wickedly as he reached a hand forward to caress Hermione's cheek. She made an effort to noticeably flinch, moving her head away from his hand. Draco laughed maniacally, elbowed Blaise Zabini to his left, and went back to eating his food as if this were a normal day. Hermione held her breath, waiting..

Not a pin was heard in the Great Hall for five whole seconds before many of the members of Gryffindor and other houses stood up in outrage. Hermione tried to look afraid, like she thought the Death Eaters would want her to look, and the effort of it made her hands shake.

Pansy looked dumbstruck. The rest of Slytherin house stared at Draco, at Hermione, then back again, then at both of them together. Shock would be an understatement. Gregory Goyle asked simply "Why?" and Hermione tried her hardest not to look at the head table or at her friends in Gryffindor when Draco answered.

Draco took this opportunity to speak as loudly as he could, hoping to spread their tale to the gossipers as quickly as he could manage. With a fork inches from his face he replied, "Because _He_ asked me too." And then started to chew his food.

There was no question over who _he_ was. Draco had just declared to the school that he has married Hermione Granger at the orders of Lord Voldemort himself.

-o-

After the most painful, awkward, and humiliating breakfast and sorting ceremony she had ever experienced, Hermione and Draco made their way out of the Great Hall. Only seconds later Neville came out behind them, speaking in a forceful voice, hands clenched into fists at his sides.

"Hermione. I need to speak to you. Now."

Turning to Draco, she said "Can I have a moment?"

Having spoken about Neville and the DA the night before, Draco played his part in their act.

"Don't be long, Mudblood." He stalked away, his robes billowing slightly behind him. She watched him go before turning to her friend.

"Neville." She greeted, awaiting his explosion.

"What in Merlin's name is going on here Hermione?! When I got your letter I assumed I was covering for you because you were going to leave the country, be with Victor Krum for all I know! Not to marry the enemy!" He angrily gestures towards the back of Malfoy, who was slowly walking about 20 or so odd feet ahead of them.

"Neville, this is not what you think. Please, give me a chance to explain. I'll meet you in front of the Room of Requirement at 10:30 PM tonight, okay?"

Hermione turned and ran to catch up with Draco, knowing full well that Neville would be close behind her. All three of them were headed to Advanced Herbology. And the whispers were going to follow them.

-o-

This day was probably the most difficult day that Hermione had ever been through. Not only was she worried sick about the fact that her two best friends were out trying to destroy the pariah of the Wizarding World, Lord Voldemort, but she was horrified at what Ron would do once he found out about what he would perceive as a deep betrayal.

And the one place in the world where she had always felt safe, the school that taught her how to use the natural talents that always made her feel like a freak in the Muggle world, was now a haunting of it's former self. The cold mood was palpable. The Death Eater presence, unmistakable.

Many of the Muggleborn students had not returned this year and those that had were being harassed. The first years were the smallest opening class she had ever seen in her history at Hogwarts. And the Headmaster, the spy in their midst, was doing his best to keep his cover. Looking as monstrous as ever along with his Voldemort enforced lackeys, the Carrows, were a horrifyingly mad sight. Hermione pledged to herself that she would make hem pay for their deeds, at all costs. She just had to bide her time.

If all of this wasn't bad enough, it seemed to be an almost even split across the classes. Half believed Hermione was in grave danger and being tortured by her new husband, while the others thought she was under a spell, or even worse, a small portion believed had she had turned her back on Harry and Ron. Thankfully that last group was a slim margin. Hermione couldn't handle the whispers.

In Potions class that evening, Hermione whispered to Draco. "I don't know how to do this. I can't handle this." Her hands started to shake, almost spilling too much Eye of Newt into the cauldron.

He whispered back, "keep calm, Granger. Follow my lead." And then standing up in an apparent rush of anger. "What did you just say, Mudblood?!"

Thinking how annoying it was for Draco to be asking her to act when she had told him this was a difficult scenario for her, it took Hermione a moment to come up with an answer.

"I told you, I will NOT help you!" Just guessing that he was looking for her to show a sign of reluctance, Hermione went with a vague intellectual disagreement.

Shaking his head and pursing his lip, Draco retorted "Oh, I'll show you, you little trollop!" And then he forcibly grabbed her by the wrists and pulled her out of the classroom. She vaguely heard some shuffling desks and Professor Slughorn telling students not to interfere as she was pulled out by the arm. Hermione scoffed internally. Not even the teachers were the same. This school had become a dark place.

Once they were clear from the hallway, Draco gingerly let go of her hands and led her into an seldom used classroom. "I'm sorry Hermione. Did I hurt you?" They were now standing in a very empty room, drafty without a lit torch in sight. He put his hands onto her shoulders, trying to look into her eyes. Hermione brought her head upward, slowly. "No, they were rubbed a bit but they don't hurt."

He started moving his hands up and down her arms, sensing her chill. "Well, the good news is we don't have to go to the rest of our classes today."

She raised her left eyebrow, staring at him "What do you mean?"

He shrugged lightly, the movement moving her as well. "I do this all the time. I cause a scene, leave the room, and then no one expects to see me for the rest of the day."

She laughed. Hermione genuinely laughed for the first time in weeks. It was so simple. Such simple logic. Still chuckling to herself, "What about our classwork? We're going to miss our assignments."

Smirking a little, "Always the star pupil, Granger."

Hermione smiled, then spoke slowly. Unsure if this statement would cross an unseen line. "I like this. I like the private Draco, the one only I get to see."

Private Draco was nicer, funnier, and overall significantly less pigheaded than she thought. He was turning out to be nothing like the angry boy she'd known to yell at Harry and then run away, she'd always assumed his lack of follow-through with his threats was cowardice… When it seems now that it might have all been an act.

Interrupting her thoughts, Draco started moving his arms from Hermione's shoulders to around her back, bringing her closer as he thought for 45 long seconds before speaking.

"I meant what I said Hermione. I never imagined my future being with you..." He leaned his head forward, inching it closer to her lips.

"But now that it's here, I'm going to work my hardest to make it real. Despite what it looks like on the outside, my parents were in love once. I remember it. I remember seeing how they spoke to each other, tenderly held each other, and I saw how that fell apart when the Dark Mark reawakened on my father's arm. How that wiggly snake brought out the worst in him, and then how the Dark Lord stole him away from my mother, from his family. I won't let that monster do that to me."

A breath away from her lips, his eyes closed and his forehead leaned against her own. Hermione closed her eyes, not understanding how things could have progressed so quickly, her heart beating rapidly at the closeness of Draco. Not understanding in the slightest the ping that went off in her mind, the sharp tug on her heart.

"If this is our only chance..." Draco concluded, "Then I'm going to take it."

And then he was kissing her. Slowly, his lip moving against hers in a soft cushion of warmth and salt. His face moving to the side to make room for more, his lips engulfing every part of Hermione that she had originally believed was totally under control. His hands pulling her closer, Hermione's body felt the flush of heat that radiated off of his.

As she was really letting go, becoming part of Draco in a tangled limb, a small thought popped into Hermione's mind. She thought that Draco's speech sounded a lot like settling. That this statement of willingness to try and find love with her sounded like an only resort, as if she was not part of the plan but she would do just fine since it turned out this way. And honestly, part of her didn't care in this moment. She knew that what he just said was true for her as well. Her and Ron had never dated, but Hermione had always believed that they were an inevitability. That turned out not to be true and it didn't hurt as much as she thought it would.

Because Hermione had never been treasured before and, although a little confused and flustered, she was going to enjoy her and Draco's mutual deceptions.

-o-

"So what are you going to tell him?" Draco asked from his side of the bed.

"Well, obviously I can't tell him that you and Snape are secretly spying on You Know Who and I'm going to be the mediator between you both and Harry."

She sighed before continuing. "I think I'll say a similar version, just that you and the Headmaster aren't part of the plan. I married you to get information for the cause. They'll assume I'm a martyr." Hermione shrugged, trying to act nonchalant.

Draco stood up, walking towards the open trunk she was unpacking. "Well, don't be gone too long. You need to check in with _Potter_ tonight." He sneered a little at Harry's surname and leaned to look into her trunk. "Geez, Granger. Do you think you have enough books?" She turned slightly to glare at him.

"Might I remind you, this isn't a vacation. I have research to do." She huffed, pulling out the small book she was looking for. "Is this it?" Draco asked, pointing towards the small leather bond book. She stood up and he followed, she dropped the diary onto the small table next to her bed. "Yes."

He picked it up, looking at the blank pages. "How does it work?"

"It's a modified version of the Protean charm I put on the coins for the DA group...Oh wait, you weren't in the DA." She adds, forgetting for a moment she didn't always know that Draco was on their side of the way.

"Basically I write in the diary and the text disappears on my end and appears in Harry's journal. Then whatever he writes back will show up in my version. That's how we'll share information without owls."

"Clever." He remarked, dropping it back onto the end-table. Hermione looks at him silently. "What?" Draco asks, noticing her stare.

"I'm just not used to you complimenting me yet." She remarks.

Draco looks away, towards the analog clock on the wall and dismissing the subject. "You should probably get going."

She looks at the clock and silently agrees, picking up her wand from where it sat by her trunk.

"Okay, I'll be back in half an hour." And she leaves the room. Draco stares at the empty diary on her bedside table, thinking.

-o-

When she reached the Room of Requirement that night, Neville pulled her to a corner and brought her into a bone crushing hug without even a word. After a moment, Hermione cleared her throat. "Neville? Um, you're holding me a bit too tightly."

"Oh shite, sorry Hermione." He lets her go, then holds her in place with his hands to inspect her at a close distance. "Where has he hurt you? Should we go to Madam Pomfrey?"

Swatting his hands away, Hermione tried to reassure him. "Don't worry, Neville. Yes, Malfoy is a mean bastard but he isn't abusive. He hasn't laid a hand on me."

And although Hermione knew this was part of the plan, that everyone had to believe that Malfoy was a bad guy, it hurt her to say so. She added some hesitation to her voice, trying to play the part of the brave Gryffindor martyr.

Neville looked at her skeptically and then with a sadness that confused her. "Why did you do this Hermione? You know you could have actually married me if you needed help."

While a few weeks ago Hermione may have found his words flattering, at the moment it didn't help her mood. She huffed, exasperated already by this conversation. "I am tired of everyone acting like I am a delicate flower. I don't need help! I have this completely under control!"

Pushing his hair from his face, Neville started to anxiously pace. "You married a Death Eater! This is not under control!"

Hermione tried not to notice the other occupants of the room, staring from a distance. The Room of Requirement was a lot fuller than she expected.

"Neville, I know what I have gotten myself into. I'm doing this for a good reason. I'm feeding information to help Harry and Ron."

Neville stopped mid turn-about. "You can reach them?" He spoke excitedly.

"Yes, I've modified the Protean charm from DA so that we can communicate while I'm at Hogwarts."

"Do they know yet what you've done?"

"Harry knows, Ron will know soon."

Neville nervously looks down, "He probably already knows."

Startled, "What do you mean?"

"Lee and I reported your wedding on Potterwatch. The whole resistance knows."

Hermione paled.

-o-

 _Dearest Ron,_

 _By now you both know about my marriage to Draco Malfoy. Ron, I am very sorry for having deceived you. I'm sure Harry has explained everything to you by now, but I want to stress that I am okay. Malfoy has been nothing but kind to me. He really is different than he seems. He doesn't want You Know Who to win. You may never believe him, but please believe in me._

 _Neville is very upset as well but he knows now that I am in contact with you both so if any of the DA group find any relevant information, they will give it to me to pass along._

 _Ginny is doing well. I'll keep an eye out on her for the both of you._

 _Please let me know how you guys are. Did you go to the Forests of Dean like I suggested? I doubt anyone would think to look for you there._

 _I'm starting my research with Headmaster Snape and Malfoy tomorrow. I'll write down all of my findings for you both._

 _I miss you both, so very much. It's not the same being here without you all._

 _I'm sorry, Ron. Please forgive me._

 _Your faithful friend,  
_ _Hermione Granger_

-o-

Next time on _For the Cause, For Herself_ :

Hermione turned and walked away from the room before anyone else could speak. Her life with Draco was isolating her, and as much as it pained her, she did not regret it.


	10. My Mudblood

Previously on _For the Cause, For Herself_ :

"Lee and I reported your wedding on Potterwatch. The whole resistance knows."

-o-

Chapter 10: My Mudblood

Hermione lay in bed, covered head to toe in a warm pair of blue flannel pajamas, and turned towards Draco, who was reading a book beside her. It was odd for her to be in bed with a half naked man, but he didn't seem to feel self conscious at all so she continued to stare at him, purposefully avoiding the mark on his forearm.

Eventually he laid the book face down on his chest and turned his head towards hers, his blonde hair flopping to the side without his usual hair gel holding it up. "What?"

Swallowing nervously, she fumbled for a question. "W-What are you reading?"

"A book on the dark arts." He answered.

"Is that something that interests you?" She asked tentatively.

Draco rolled his eyes, "I was raised by my father, so of course it interests me. But no, I'm not up to any nefarious if that's what you mean." Draco sits up a little, adjusting his book and turning slightly to get a better look at Hermione.

"I'm looking for Horcrux clues, of course. What if there is a way to detect them?"

"That's a good idea. Have you found anything?"

"Only one thing, but it wouldn't be helpful in this scenario. Just a vague mention that souls can recognize parts of itself."

Slowly wiggling a little closer to him, Hermione said "Yeah, I don't think that will help. An intriguing thought though, a Horcrux that could think."

Draco put the book on his bedside table, making sure to mark his page. Then he turned towards her fully, moving an arm around Hermione's back, bringing her face towards his chest. Hermione blinked several times and attempted to leveling her breathing.

"You are nothing like I thought." She stated candidly.

Draco smiled, "Of course. I don't let many people see me."

"Why?" She tilted her head up to him, resting her chin near his biceps so she could look on his face again. She wondered briefly what Ron would have looked like, half naked like this, and quickly pushed the thought away.

"Because of my father. Because of _Him_. Pretending to be what they want made it easier for me to figure out, behind the scenes, who I really wanted to be."

"That sounds lonely."

Stroking a curly strand on her head, he thought for a few seconds before he spoke, seeming to chose his words carefully.

"It used to be. Until maybe fourth year."

"What happened in your fourth year?" She asked.

Hoping that if she didn't stare at him, he would reveal more, Hermione maneuvered her had so that her cheek lay flesh on his chest, looking into the dark corners of their joint bedroom.

"I made a friend."

Confused, "But haven't you always had friends?"

"No. Not really. Only lackeys."

Curious, Hermione asked. "Who was your friend?" She didn't recall seeing him with anyone new in fourth year. 

Draco turned his body to the side for a moment, picking back up his book, and started to read once again, the book held with his left arm, his right still around Hermione. Before turning the page, he said simply. "I'll tell you about her one day."

And then Hermione was left with even more unanswered questions, more to add to the Draco file that was becoming fuller by the moment.

-o-

The next day, Draco and Hermione met the Headmaster in his office before breakfast.

"Hello Headmaster." Hermione said in greeting, sitting down on one of chairs closest to his desk. She briefly noticed the sherbert lemons sitting in a dish on Snape's desk and wondered just how close Snape and Dumbledore used to be. Snape didn't seem to her like the kind of person that would have a candy dish.

"Good morning, Mrs. Granger. Draco, please have a seat." Snape nodded towards his Godson, and then lifted an eyebrow as he watched Draco bring the only other chair in the room closer to Hermione before sitting down. Hermione glanced at Draco before turning to the Headmaster.

"So, what is on the table for today?"

Headmaster Snape sat down. "First, I believe we should set up a regular time to discuss the Horcrux progress and to work on any other plans we may need to go work with. Do either of you have class at 5 PM?"

"No, sir." They both chorused. "Good, then it's decided. Meet me in this office every other day at 5 for us to plan, starting tonight."

Hermione nodded.

"As much as I would rather…" Snape grimaced before continuing. "We need to discuss your… Marriage."

Hermione didn't know what to say, she glanced at Draco, who looked a little redder than usual. To Hermione's great relief he spoke first, "What about it?"

Noticing Draco's slightly agitated tone, Snape looked between the two, taking note again of their close proximity. "Well, we need to start training Mrs. Granger in Occlumency." 

The Headmaster's tone sounded matter-of-fact, as if the topic were obvious. The tension in Draco's shoulders seemed to lessen, he leaned back in this chair. "That makes sense."

Snape looked towards Hermione. "I assume you know what Occlumency is, Mrs. Granger?"

Folding her hands in her lap, she answered "Of course, it's the act of preventing someone from entering your mind."

"That is the basic definition, thank you Mrs. Granger." Hermione hated when he used that clipped tone with her. "But someone that is actually proficient in Occlumency would tell you that it is also used to organize your mind, so that you can bring forth certain memories and hide others. It's essential in the life of a spy."

He turns to his Godson, "Draco, I want you to start with the basics of training with her. If you encounter any trouble with it, let me know and we'll set up a tutoring session."

Turning three quarters in her seat so that she could face both of them, Hermione inquired. "So, you both know Occlumency?"

Draco scoffed. "Of course. We'd be dead if we didn't."

Hermione paled, realizing why this would be important for her. "So, you think You Know Who is for sure going to want to meet me? That he'll want to read my mind?"

"Of course, Mrs. Granger. He is going to want proof that you are being swayed to his side. Or at least that you are in a great deal of pain. Whichever will give him the most information about Mr. Potter. My assumption would be during the holiday break, the Malfoys will call you both to stay with them at Malfoy Manor, where the Dark Lord often holds meetings."

Hermione stood abruptly, "We're going to live with You Know Who, for two weeks?!"

Draco stood up as well, reaching his arms out ahead of him, "Don't worry Granger, you'll be ready by then, we have a little more than two months to train." Slowly approaching, he took those outstretched hands and ran them along her arms, Hermione shook her head back and forth. "Oh, Merlin."

"Stay calm, freaking out isn't going to make it easier Granger. Besides, he'll only be there part of the time." He shook her arms a little, trying to jolt her out of it. Hermione took a calming breath, trying to push out all of her nerves in a shuddering movement. "Right, okay. We'll start planning and training tonight. We'll be prepared."

Snape looked between the two, "You are going to miss breakfast." and watched them both nod in unison, gather their items, and leave the room. "Interesting..." He muttered to himself, looking up to the portrait of Dumbledore on the wall. Headmaster Dumbledore looked back at him, a pleasant smile on his face.

-o-

Walking down the steps, Draco a hair's breath behind her, Hermione stopped dead. The Carrows were on the way up, blocking their path.

"Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. What a pleasure. We are both ecstatic to have you in our classes today. We know you will excel in the Dark Arts, Draco, and Mrs. Malfoy, well, you'll find Muggle Studies greatly improved." Amycus Carrow drawled to the pair, pointing between the two. Draco reached down and took Hermione's hand, pulling her slightly behind him.

"Yes, Mr. Carrow. We are quite looking forward to them both. Aren't we, Hermione?" Tightly smiling, Draco looked towards his wife. Hermione, knowing to play a part, lowered her gaze, "Yes, Draco." She said in a small voice, hoping to show a look of submission rather than the searing anger that was boiling in her.

Alecto Carrow turned towards Hermione. "Ah, it's lovely to see such a loyal wife. Good job Draco." She reached forward, about to run a finger along Hermione's face, her eyes alight with something venomous, when Draco intervened, pulling out his wand. Alecto pulled back slowly, turning her gaze to Draco, pinching her face in anger, dark hair falling slightly into her face.

"And just what, do you think you are doing Mr. Malfoy?" She asked very slowly, drawing out the words in an effort to keep tone level.

Ignoring her question, Draco posed a question of his own. "Yes, Ms. Carrow, she is training quite nicely. But pardon me, did the Dark Lord give you permission to touch my wife?" Draco tightened his grip on his and.

Sputtering, the Carrows looked at each other and then back at Draco. They pulled out their own wands as well. "Mr. Malfoy, you seem very possessive of your Mudblood, I'm sure the Dar-"

Raising his voice, Draco interrupted. "Yes, my Mudblood. As you so eloquently put it. Now if you'll excuse us, we need to eat. You wouldn't want me to tell _Him_ that my Mudblood fainted in class because you prevented her from eating, now would you?"

Draco pushed his way through the two, bringing Hermione with him down the rest of the stairwell. They vaguely heard the Headmaster's door open in the background, leaving his room to investigate the sound as they were rushing away.

When they reached the hallway, Hermione pulled away from Draco, walking into an abandoned alcove towards the side of their path, bringing her hands up to her face. "I hate this! I am not a cowering damsel! This is not me!"

Draco quickly cast Muffliato around them, making sure to see if anyone was near.

"Of course it isn't Granger. You are stronger than that, which is why you have to act to make this work. The Carrows aren't disciplined enough to know Occlumency, the Dark Lord is going to see your performance through their eyes and see that I'm dominating you. Which is what we want!" Draco's hands moved as he spoke, exaggerating his points.

Hermione reached a corner and slid to the floor, bringing her knees up to her chest.

"I just hate this. I don't like pretending to be weak. I feel like everyday that I pretend to be something I'm not, the closer I am to becoming that cowering girl."

"Don't worry Hermione." He edged closer to the seated brainiac, "We're going to start researching and training tonight. This is only temporary."

Getting an idea, she looked towards her husband. "I think I want to speak on Potterwatch. I'll feel better if I can at least tell the resistance that things aren't what they seem, that I'm not actually the girl that people are seeing at this school."

He sat beside her, reaching an arm around her shoulder. "If you think you can handle it, and that it won't jeopardize anything, give it a try."

He adds, "Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"Can you bring Darkling with you, when you go to Potterwatch? Then he can tell me if the Carrows interrupt." 

She dropped her head on his shoulder.

"When this is all over, you'll be welcome everywhere. People will know what we've done, that you aren't what you seem."

Draco chuckled at that, wiggling their bodies with the movement. "We'll see."

Hermione chose to ignore that, figuring she'd prove him wrong once the war was over. Assuming they'd both survive. Then she realized something, "Why doesn't Darkling stay in our room? Since we have a private room, he can stay with us."

Darting his eyes to the floor, Draco said "Darkling prefers to go flying whenever he wants, so he stays in the Owlery. Just stop by there quickly before the meeting and he'll follow you."

"Alright."

-o-

Grabbing a quick bite of toast, Hermione and Draco left for class, a trail of whispers crowding up in the wake of the hand Draco steadily kept on her back.

Muggle Studies and Dark Arts was just as horrible as they expected it to be. With Dark Arts replacing their Defense Against the Darks Arts, Mr. Carrow would cast harmful spells on students that would refuse to cast hurtful spells themselves. It was a torturous experience for Hermione, watching the students she cared about being hurt in front of her eyes. Feeling hopeless in her charade. With each moment that passed, she became more invested in the idea that there must be a hell, a plane where the damned were left to live in their sins. Regardless, she knew this was an injustice she would see heightened.

Hermione made a special note in her running catalogue of to-dos to confer with Headmaster Snape about adding in extra Healing Droughts and topical bruise and pain lotions for Madam Pomfrey. For now, that would have to do.

Muggle Studies was a travesty, a class full of lies. She could only imagine what these supposed facts would do to the already established prejudices some Purebloods may already harbor, and the naivety of some of the half-bloods that may not know any better than to believe Ms. Carros. It was obvious these two classes were being taught by Death Eaters as recruitment measures.

Thankfully with a few whispered exchanges with Neville in between classes, she was invited into Potterwatch that night. She was excited to reach out to the Order.

Ginny came with Hermione, stopping by the Owlery to find Darkling somehow already waiting for her, the crow flew to Hermione's shoulder, and they walked down the halls to the Room of Requirement. Along the way, Ginny informed Hermione of some of the gossip from Gryffindor tower. To Hermione's great sadness, and oddly some relief, she heard that many of the students were considering leaving but were unsure how to do so.

When she entered the Room of Requirement with Ginny they found a comfortable room with beds and couches, and a central area near the fire that held a long table, microphones, and stiff chairs. Lee Jordan stood off towards the side of the table, already setting up, and Ginny stopped to talk with him briefly to see if there was any new news on Dean Thomas, her ex-boyfriend that had disappeared in the raids.

Hermione watched, trying to absorb as much of this as she could so she could tell Harry and Ron in the diary that night. Ron still hadn't written in it. Hermione mourned the loss of that friendship more than anything else, ringing her hands together, trying to focus on something else instead of Ron. As if sensing her sadness, Darkling nuzzled his face into Hermione's neck. Hermione reached up, petting Draco's pet before she turned to talk with Neville about the state of Hogwarts, and how she could try to help behind the scenes.

There weren't many others in the room at the moment, just Cho Chang, a few Gryfindors, and a splattering of Ravenclaws. She wondered how many people left after finding out she would be there.

Before she knew it, it was time to get started. Sitting in the stiff chair left for her, she watched the proceedings begin.

"Welcome to Potterwatch, friends. This is River here reporting today. We have a special guest. This is Brain, and she has a small announcement for the Pals of Potter followers. Welcome, Brain." Lee nods at Hermione, who brought her mouth closer to the mic set in front of her.

She cleared her throat.

"Hello, friends. This is Brain here, to let you know that things are not as they seem. A certain marriage announcement isn't the beginning and end of a story, but rather the beginning to the end. Behind the scenes things are coming into motion to help Harry, and you don't have to worry about those he left behind. Thank you."

And then her first broadcast was over within seconds after it began. It took some time to figure out what she was going to say on the broadcast, how she could say she was okay without implicating Draco. She wasn't sure if she succeeded, but she hoped the resistance outside of this castle now knew that she was not in danger, or at least she hoped they believed she wasn't in danger. She listened as Lee explained some other news and general survival tips, and signed off with the password for the next broadcast. She hoped the right people were listening.

When they finished putting the equipment away, the group all seemed to turn to Hermione, wanting more of an explanation. "It's all an act," Hermione began. "I am not being subdued by Malfoy." Darkling crowed. "I am gaining his trust so that I can send information to Harry."

"Is it working?" Lee asks.

"Yes." She answered simply, taking a deep breath.

"That's it?! That's all you're going to say?" Neville commanded in a louder voice than she'd ever seen him use.

"I can't say more until this is almost over. That's how it has to be. Harry's orders." And that was that.

"Don't you think that if we all knew the plan, we'd be able to help?" Lee enquired.

"I want to help." Said Cho Chang, Ginny turned towards Harry's ex-girlfriend. "This plan has to stay a secret. If not, it won't work."

Neville looked at Ginny, accusatory "So you know the plan too? Why not us?"

Ginny turned to Hermione, not sure what to say.

Hermione took the easy way out. "We have taken the Unbreakable Vow. We can't explain more to you." She shook her head. "Just know, that Harry is part of this plan. I am talking with him and Ron every night, giving him progress reports."

And that was all the could be said, no one can question the Unbreakable Vow. Sure, Hermione didn't volunteer that Ginny wasn't technically part of this pact, and could indeed talk, but she didn't want Ginny to be interrogated. It was easier this way, now that they all knew how serious she was about not talking.

Hermione turned and walked away from the room before anyone else could speak. Her life with Draco was isolating her, and as much as it pained her, she refused to regret it.

-o-

Next time on _For the Cause, For Herself_ :

Neville watched Draco closely, noticing a slight tremor in his left hand. Professor McGonagall walked into the classroom. "Professor Carrow, what was that s-"

She stopped cold, seeing the blood.

-o-

A/N: Thank you vani12 for reviewing again! Also too Vadimmom, adam393, Neakco (happy you caught up with life too!), and ggROGANgg for your enthusiasm! Reviews really motivate me to keep writing. Don't forget you can find out more about me in my bio.


	11. The Calm Before the Storm

A/N: Chapters are coming up as they are edited, it's just tough to make time to edit! I hope you are all enjoying this story. The first draft of chapter 12 is actually double the size of this one, so it's going to be pretty long once I fill in some details. If you notice mistakes in this chapter, feel free to share them with me and I can fix them when/if I do another pass at the story. I appreciate it! Thank you for the reviews Adam393, kakasakugurl, Guest, Jily71102, thebeebeegun, hwyla, ggROGANgg, FriskyDragon, and Neakco!

Previously on _For the Cause, For Herself_ :

"I just hate this. I don't like pretending to be weak. I feel like everyday that I pretend to be something I'm not, the closer I am to becoming that cowering girl."

-o-

Chapter 11: The Calm Before the Storm

In the weeks that followed, Hermione and Draco grew closer. Other than Ginny and Headmaster Snape, they interacted with very few people. The isolation was slowly wasting away at Hermione, especially with the Carrows purposefully hurting students in front of her. Hermione, not being the kind of girl to watch injustice happen before her, felt as if her identity really was being stripped from her. The only thing Hermione could take comfort in was the fact that at least she didn't have to lie in front of her core group.

Putting down the bewitched journal, Hermione turned from her desk to Draco. He lay shirtless on their bed reading again, as he did every night that he wasn't at Quidditch practice. The amount of studying and reading he did paralleled hers, she wondered if he had done this all those years in Slytherin as well or if this was a new development.

Even with all of this time together, she still felt a bit uncomfortable with how easily Draco took their intimacy. It didn't feel real, and in some ways, it wasn't. They never would have gotten together if it weren't for this ridiculous Marriage Act. Even with the comfort they often took in each other's arms, Hermione tried to remind herself at least once a day it wasn't a real marriage.

At the sound of the journal closing, Draco looked up from _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_. "Any news?" He asked.

"Nothing new. They still can't figure out how to destroy the locket, or where the other three Horcruxes could be. I still can't believe they were able to get it from Umbridge." She shakes her head a little, still reeling over the fact that they were able to pull that off.

"I'm sure it helps that you were able to work through the plan with them."

"Yes." A small sigh, "I'm very grateful I've been able to talk with Harry."

"Still nothing from Weasel?" Draco comes up from the bed, moving towards her.

"No. I don't think he'll ever forgive me."

A lone tear leaked from Hermione's eye, which Draco picked up with a trailing finger.

"He'll get over it one day. He just has a hurt pride. Everyone believed you two would end up married with a brood of children of your own. A regular Mr. and Mrs. Weasley of the next generation."

Swiping the growing pool of moisture away from beneath her eyes, Hermione changed the topic. "Harry did say he had another vision, involving Gregorovitch."

Blinking, furrowed brow in confusion "That's really peculiar."

"Yeah, he said that You Know Who was looking for information about a wand."

"Ah, nevermind. That actually makes sense."

"How so?" It still surprised Hermione to be in the presence of people that often had answers she didn't. Draco and Headmaster Snape often had little tidbits she wasn't aware of.

"You told me that Potter and the Dark Lord have wands with the same core. So, they aren't going to work well against each other. He probably wants a more powerful wand. Gregorovitch is a wand maker."

"That does make a lot of sense."

"I have my moments."

Hermione stood from her chair and walked into the bathroom, Draco trailed behind her and asked "Soon, we'll be at the Manor. Are you ready for it?"

Hermione picked up her hair brush, taking it to the mop she liked to refer to as her curls. Forlornly she answered "Not at all."

Draco put his hands on her shoulders, staring at their reflection in the mirror. "You're stronger than you know, Hermione."

And as it always would, Hermione felt the urge to smile whenever he called her by her first name. She turned around and he moved his hands to hold her face, positioning his his body against hers. Even though they've been together several times these past two and a half months, Hermione still couldn't keep her heart from racing at his touch.

-o-

"Mrs. Malfoy," The class always seemed to inhale whenever Hermione was referred to as Draco's wife. "You know the rules. If you don't practice the spell, the spell will be practiced on you."

"I hardly think that is necessary, Mr. Carrow. We've been practicing..." Draco traced a finger along Hermione's breast bone, Hermione shrank away from him, acting as if the touch was unwelcome. "In private." Draco concluded, turning back to Mr. Carrow.

Angered, but not wanting to upset the Dark Lord, Mr. Carrow nodded. He had learned this lesson the hard way on the first week of class when Voldemort had performed Crucio on Alecto for interfering in Hermione's "training". Thinking about meeting Voldemort in the near future horrified Hermione, she hoped she was ready.

"Well then, if you don't show me your progress with the spell, I'll have to perform it on another student in your place… As a, _demonstration_." He spoke the last word slowly, drawing it out.

"But now who should I practice on? Hm..." He looked around the room, his eyes landing on the Gryffindor side. Slowly moving between the tables, looking back and forth from Hermione to the students to see her reactions. Hermione didn't have to pretend to be frightened now. With her eyes wide she watched him judge each student based on her connection to them, coming to the conclusion of who would be the most upsetting to Hermione.

She tried to focus on her breathing techniques, think on the library she was slowly forming in her mind for her Occlumency training… Hermione thought it might be working, that she could handle another person being tortured in her name for years greater good, but then Mr. Carrow stopped at the one table that would upset her the most.

"Get up, Longbottom." Neville slowly stood, looking at Hermione and Draco. He seemed to nod at her, silently telling Hermione that he would sacrifice for her. But as he stood, Hermione couldn't help but notice the bruises on his face, a few stray burn marks on his arms, evidence of how often he has been fighting the Death Eater students, taking beatings in detention for standing up for the first years and other children that couldn't defend themselves, he was selfless. Hermione wanted to be brave for him, to accept his sacrifice, but the pain burrowed into her silence until it forced its way out.

Hermione made to stand, Draco grabbing her arm. "What are you doing?" His harshly whispered towards her. She pushed his hand away, her face heating up and her own hands gripping into fists. Her wand arm raised, pointing towards Mr. Carrow and Neville.

Alecto turned around, his face twisting into a cruel, yet surprised, smile. "Ah, Mrs. Malfoy. Changed your mind? Who do you want to test the spell on? This boy?" He gestures towards Neville again.

"No." And then before Draco could stop her, she turned her wand straight at Mr. Carrow and spoke one of the darkest spells she knew.

"Sectumsempra!" And Alecto fell to the floor, his body shuddering as blood began seeping from his robes. His scream set off a beautiful alarm in Hermione's methodically organized brain. What if she could play the bad girl instead of the cowering one?

Hermione smiled, feeling powerful for the first time in weeks. Draco, startled by her ferocity, slowly stood up from his chair beside her, and put his arm protectively around her shoulders. His part in this play, like hers, was far from over. "Good job, my Mudblood." He smirked, looking to the other Slytherin students.

Draco spoke above the professor's screams, "I told you we've been practicing."

Neville watched Draco closely, noticing a slight tremor in his left hand. Professor McGonagall walked into the classroom. "Professor Carrow, what was that s-"

She stopped cold as soon as she entered the dark classroom. She gripped the table to her left for balance as her eyes trailed from the blood on the floor, to Professor Carrow's body, to the widely grinning Hermione and Draco Malfoy.

"Everyone, clear the room. Mr. Zabini, get Headmaster Snape and Madam Pomfrey."

Draco began to steer Hermione away when Madam Pomfrey pointed towards them. "You two, stay." Hermione blinked for the first time since the incident, moving her eyes from the squealing man on the floor to the hand that performed the tortuous act.

What had she done?

-o-

Next time on _For the Cause, For Herself_ :

Looking up from her writing, Hermione noticed Draco reading over her shoulder. He asked "You aren't going to tell them that we, more than likely, will see the Dark Lord?"

Hermione shook her head, "Definitely not."


End file.
